France and UNESCO
The French National Commission for UNESCO (CNFU) was created in April 1946 to liaise between France and UNESCO. It comprises 50 personalities from the worlds of education, science or culture designated by the government. Their task is to ensure France’s intellectual influence on UNESCO as well as reporting back to French society on the international organisation’s actions and values. Regarding the “World Heritage” programme, this Commission works with the World Heritage Centre to guarantee respect for the value of the listed sites and proper use of the logos and “World Heritage” emblem by the French managers of listed sites. The CNFU works hand in hand with the Permanent Delegation of France to UNESCO, a full-scale diplomatic corps with an ambassador, one of whose duties includes upholding French candidatures during the World Heritage Committee’s annual sessions.
Alongside these official institutions, 36 of the 39 French sites on the List, as well as the managers of several nominated sites, have joined forces as the Association of French World Heritage Sites (ABFPM), since 2007. As a platform for sharing experiences and thinking, its mission is to form a network, to protect and sustain the French sites listed as World Heritage.