Association of French World Heritage properties (ABFPM)

In 2013, France had 38 properties registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) encourages the worldwide identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is the subject of an international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1972, the “Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage”. France ratified the Convention in 1975 and now has one of the highest numbers of listed properties of any country in the world.

In 2007, the Association of French World Heritage Properties was formed to help managers of listed sites improve the protection and enhancement of their properties, take part in discussions on public policies in France and cooperate with all the cultural and natural sites of the international community which constitute a universal heritage, while working to promote them.

Aims of the ABFPM:

Creating the conditions for exchange and sharing of knowledge and experience at national and international level in the fields of conservation, protection, enhancement, activity organisation and heritage management;

Being proactive and reflective in the areas listed above, working with heritage stakeholders in France and abroad;

Promoting the sites on the World Heritage List to the public and tour operators.

Members of the ABFPM:

Since the first members signed up, the change in the property categories (including the addition of properties to the extended territories) has brought about changes in the scale of management and new issues to consider. It has also led to increasing diversity in the statuses of property managers/administrators: local authorities, public establishments, groupings, associations or private individuals, etc.

The association brings them all together, and also includes nominated properties on the French Indicative List that may benefit from the experience of their seniors.

35 out of the 38 listed properties are now represented by the Association, along with several nominated properties (Climates of Burgundy, the Chauvet Pont-d’Arc Cave, the Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne fault, the Landscapes of Champagne, the City of Nîmes, etc.). The institutional partners in charge of implementation of the 1972 Convention also take part in the work of the Association (State, French National Commission for UNESCO, ICOMOS, IUCN, etc.).

The ABFPM is currently chaired by Mr Yves DAUGE.

To find out more:

http://www.assofrance-patrimoinemondial.org/