France

• © UNESCO. Michel Claude
• Mont St Michel

UNESCO Headquarters is located in Paris, France. The country has, thus, forged a privileged relationship with the Organization, of which it is a founding member.

In August 2005, France announced it was making a substantial contribution to the Special Fund of the Information for All Programme, which finances projects promoting universal access to information and knowledge. The Information for All Programme (IFAP), an intergovernmental initiative launched by UNESCO, provides a framework for international co-operation and international and regional partnerships. It supports the development of common strategies, methods and tools to build inclusive, open and pluralistic knowledge societies.

As a founding member of UNESCO, France joined the Organization on November 4, 1946. France holds 13 UNESCO Chairs. The French capital also houses the International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP), whose mission is to disseminate key resources for the drafting of education policies and for decision-making in matters of education.

France is a major UNESCO partner in the field of Education for All. In 2001, France proposed the creation of an experts working group in education linked to the Regional Office for Education in Africa (BREDA) in Dakar, in order to contribute to efforts by the international community in favour of reform of educational systems and to promote capacity-building in BREDA. France also participates in numerous projects led by UNESCO in the fields of heritage protection, cultural diversity and bioethics. It is a member of the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee.