The UNESCO heritage application for the megaliths in Carnac and on the shores of Morbihan brings together 28 municipalities, the Morbihan Département Council, two Public Establishments for Intermunicipal Cooperation (EPCIs), the Morbihan Département, the French National Monuments Centre (Centre des Monuments Nationaux, CMN), the French Coastal Protection Agency (Conservatoire du littoral), the Region of Brittany (Région Bretagne), and a large number of associations and related municipalities, including Vannes and Auray.
What is unesco world heritage ?
Ratified in 1972, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is one of a range of programmes conducted by UNESCO. It encourages the protection and preservation of 933 cultural sites, 227 natural sites, and 39 mixed sites.
The 1,199 Properties are highly diverse, their common point being that they are all of outstanding universal value (OUV). They include:
- monuments, groups of buildings, and sites
- serial properties
- transnational properties
- cultural landscapes
- cultural itineraries
These properties are from all different periods of history. Europe alone accounts for almost half of the sites listed, with 463 cultural sites and 65 natural sites.
Two major bodies manage this extensive programme:
The World Heritage Committee
- In charge of implementation of the Convention
- 21 State Parties elected for 6 years
- Determines use of the World Heritage Fund (WHF)
- Decides on inclusion of sites on the List
- Examines the state of conservation reports from listed sites and demands measures in the event of management problems
- Decides on inclusion on the Endangered List
The World Heritage Centre
- Founded in 1992
- Coordinates world heritage-related activities within UNESCO
- Organises the committee’s annual sessions
- Advises State Parties on heritage applications
- Organises international assistance requests to the WHF
- Examines heritage applications
- Organises seminars and technical workshops
- Produces educational material
©FanchGalivel/PaysagesdeMégalithes
©FanchGalivel/PaysagesdeMégalithes