A/HRC/10/65 page 19 92. Corruption was repeatedly referred to as a critical issue in poverty and human rights. Corruption is a major cause of poverty, an obstacle to development, impairs the enjoyment of all human rights and affects the rights of the poor disproportionately. A human rights-based approach would greatly benefit the fight against corruption by adding its central elements, including access to information, accountability and empowerment. Good governance and anti-corruption efforts are therefore essential in combating poverty. 93. The food crisis is a complex issue caused by a combination of factors, including high oil prices, reduction in crop yields caused by climate change, increased freight costs, speculation and the rise in food consumption in developing countries. It was agreed that the crisis reflects a problem in the distribution and purchasing power of food rather than in production. Protecting the interests of farmers and guaranteeing land rights was highlighted as central to the mitigation of the food crisis. B. Recommendations 94. Participants to the 2008 Social Forum proposed recommendations for consideration and action by the Human Rights Council which are summarized below. 95. It is essential to ensure a larger participation of grass-roots organizations as well as those living in poverty, particularly women, in future sessions of the Social Forum, particularly from developing countries. To this end, the Human Rights Council could set up a voluntary United Nations fund to provide resources to these organizations so that they can participate in and contribute to the deliberations of future forums. 96. The Social Forum should function as an instrument for dialogue and as a think tank on a human rights-based approach to poverty reduction. It should also promote better interaction between developed and developing countries, particularly through concerted efforts to achieve poverty reduction. In this respect, the fight against poverty from a human rights perspective should remain a priority of OHCHR. 97. The Social Forum should have a focused discussion on topics which are better defined. The themes to be assigned for future sessions of the Social Forum should be narrower in scope. The Social Forum should continue to focus on discrimination as both a cause and a consequence of poverty. 98. The role of the universal periodic review mechanism was highlighted as a useful tool to monitor poverty reduction strategies. The Social Forum recommends that the implementation of poverty reduction policies at the national level be monitored through the mechanism. 99. Emphasis was placed on the shared responsibility of all Member States in international cooperation and assistance aimed at poverty reduction. In this respect, the Human Rights Council should urge the concerned States to increase their ODA and to establish adequate mechanisms to ensure that assistance reaches the most poor and is implemented in accordance with the principles of transparency and accountability.