UNESCO solemnly expresses the support of the international community to the President of the French Republic following the fire at Notre-Dame

Paris, Elysée, 19 April 2019- Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, H.E Lee Byong-hyun, President of the executive Board and H.E Zohour Alaoui, president of the general Conference, accompanied by a delegation of ambassadors representing UNESCO's Member States.

Through this unprecedented approach, UNESCO wishes to express the solidarity of the international community in the face of the tragic fire at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, which is part of the "Paris, Rives de la Seine" site, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.  The declaration states in particular that UNESCO stands "resolutely by the side of the French authorities to support the rehabilitation work of Notre Dame de Paris, and to share UNESCO's expertise in this regard, in line with its mandate for the protection of the world heritage."

UNESCO protects heritage worldwide, including endangered heritage. Since 2015, emergency missions have been deployed by UNESCO in more than 50 countries around the world to safeguard and rehabilitate heritage following disasters.