The main cultural assets of France and legal framework on cultural heritage conservation

France has an extremely rich and diverse heritage that is the bearer of strong cultural values. The long and rich history of cultural heritage assets and traditions is deeply linked to the country's identity. In order to pass on to the future generations the heritage transmitted by the previous generations, France has put in place a coherent and dynamic policy for the protection, the conservation and promotion of both tangible and intangible heritage.

The government is responsible for the national heritage policy. Within the Ministry, the Directorate-General for Heritage, together with the Regional directorates for cultural affairs (13 DRAC are in France), is responsible for identifying, studying, protecting, conserving and enhancing France's architectural, movable, urban, archaeological, ethnological, intangible and photographic heritage as well as its artistic wealth. The Ministry of Culture has implemented a cultural heritage inventory and has created several labels and designations to enhance the diversity of the heritage on its territory and to promote the heritage that it is helping to identify, conserve and restore. The designation of these labels aim to highlight the richness and the variety of cultural and natural heritage.

France has ratified the following international conventions in force: in 1972, the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage; in 1954 the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and in 2003, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, as well as the conventions of Council of Europe, like for instance the Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe in 1985, the Convention for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage of Europe in 1992 and the European Landscape Convention in 2000.

The cultural and natural sites on the World Heritage List

To date, France has 45 sites inscribed on the World Heritage List as well as 18 inscribed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Thanks to all its tools and a solid legislation integrated in the heritage code, but especially thanks to the technical skills of heritage practitioners and professionals, France can be proud that its heritage is protected and enhanced so that it can be known and accessible to everyone.

France is a Member State of ICCROM since 25/09/1964

Mandates in ICCROM Council since 1958:

ICCROM Staff since 1959: 21 (of which 4 seconded)

• Ministère de la Culture
  
• Code du patrimoine
  
• Bases de données ministère de la culture (inventaire du patrimoine culturel)
  
• Protections et Labels pour le patrimoine en France
  
• Inventaire national du patrimoine culturel immatériel
  
• Liste du patrimoine mondial de la Convention de 1972 de l’UNESCO sur le patrimoine culturel et naturel
  
• Liste du patrimoine culturel immatériel de la Convention de 2003 de l’UNESCO
  
• Convention pour la protection des biens culturels en cas de conflit armé, avec Règlement d'exécution 1954
  
• Liste des conventions du Conseil de l'Europe
  
• Convention culturelle européenne (1954)
  
• Convention pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine architectural de l’Europe (Grenade, 1985)
  
• Convention européenne pour la protection du patrimoine archéologique (La Valette, 1992)
  
• Convention européenne du paysage, adoptée à Florence en 2000
  
• Présentation de la politique nationale du patrimoine pour la France sur le site du Réseau HEREIN du Conseil de l'Europe
  

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