World Heritage in the regions
On 16 November 1972, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This convention has since been ratified by 190 countries that are committed to protecting the values for which their properties have been listed. They submit to UNESCO periodic assessment reports on the state of conservation of these properties.
To date, 981 properties are listed worldwide; 38 are located in France.
Of these 38 properties, 8 are located, in whole or in part, in the Occitanie region.
- the "Canal du Midi', listed in 1996 as monuments and ensembles.
Cultural property that extends within the Occitania region, listed under criteria i, ii, iv and vi.
World Heritage correspondent : N. Dreal Occitanie.
- the "Mont perdu'listed in 1997 and extended in 1999 for mixed sites.
A cultural and natural property that spans two cross-border regions of Spain and France, listed under criteria iii, iv, v (cultural property) and vii and viii (natural property).
World Heritage Correspondents Philippe Mercier, Drac Occitanie and Jean-Yves Peseux, Dreal Occitanie.
- the "Paths of Santiago de Compostela in France"entered on the list in 1998 for serial goods.
Cultural property covering 10 French regions, listed under criteria ii, iv, vi.
World Heritage correspondent co-ordinator Philippe Mercier, Drac Occitanie.
- the "Episcopal city of Albi"listed in 2010 as a World Heritage City.
Natural property listed under criteria iv and v.
World Heritage correspondent Philippe Mercier, Occitanie.
- "The Causses and the Cévennes, cultural landscape of Mediterranean agro-pastoralism", inscribed on the list in 2011, for cultural landscapes and extended properties.
Cultural property covering the large northern part of the Occitania region, listed under criteria iii and v.
World Heritage Correspondents Didier Soustelle Dreal Occitanie.
- the "Pont du Gard', listed in 1985 as monuments and ensembles.
Cultural property listed under criteria i, iii and iv.
Pen pale world heritage Jackie Estimbre, Drac Occitanie.
- the "Fortified city historic of Carcassonne"listed in 1997 as monuments and ensembles.
Cultural property listed under criteria ii and iv.
Pen pale world heritage Jackie Estimbre, Drac Occitanie.
- the "Fortifications of Vauban", listed in 2008 as serial monuments.
Cultural property listed under criteria i,ii and iv. The components of the Mont-Dauphin stronghold and the Mont-Louis enclosure and citadel are protected in the Occitanie region.
Pen pale world heritage Jackie Estimbre, Drac Occitanie.
The selection criteria
To be listed on the World Heritage List, sites must have outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the ten selection criteria. These criteria are explained in the guidelines to guide the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, which, together with the text of the Convention, is the main working tool for all matters concerning World Heritage. The criteria are regularly reviewed by the Committee to keep pace with the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.
Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Guidelines, there is only one set of ten criteria.
Cultural criteria | Natural criteria | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guidelines 2002 | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) |
Guidelines 2005 | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | (viii) | (ix) | (vii) | (x) |
Criteria
- (i) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- (ii) to bear witness to a considerable exchange of influences during a given period or in a given cultural area on the development of architecture or technology, monumental arts, city planning or landscape creation;
- (iii) to bear unique or at least exceptional witness to a living or extinct cultural tradition or civilization;
- (iv) provide a prominent example of a type of construction or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape illustrating one or more significant periods of human history;
- (v) be a prominent example of traditional human settlement, of the traditional use of the land or sea, which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or of human interaction with the environment, especially when the environment-has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible mutation;
- (vi) be directly or materially associated with living events or traditions, ideas, beliefs or artistic and literary works of exceptional universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria) ;
- (vii) represent natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic significance;
- (viii) be eminently representative examples of the great stages of the earth’s history, including the testimony of life, of geological processes in progress in the development of terrestrial forms or of geomorphic or physiographic elements of great significance;
- (ix) be eminently representative examples of ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, aquatic, coastal and marine plant and animal ecosystems and communities;
- (x) contain the most representative and important natural habitats for the in situ conservation of biological diversity, including those where endangered species of outstanding universal value from a scientific or conservation perspective survive.
Protection, management, authenticity and integrity of assets are also important considerations.
Since 1992, major interactions between humans and the natural environment have been recognized as cultural landscapes.
Contacts
- Philippe Mercier
Head of Mission UNESCO and International Relations
interdepartmental coordinator
Drac Occitanie
philippe.mercier[@]culture.gouv.fr
- Jacky Estimbre
Regional Mission Officer for World Heritage
Drac Occitanie
jackie.estimbre[@]culture.gouv.fr
