Paris Bistros and Terraces Seek Protected Status From United Nations
Paris' bistros and terrace cafes have launched a campaign to be recognized by the United Nations' cultural agency as a French way of life they consider endangered.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
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Paris (AP) -- Owners of the bistros and terrace cafes that are integral to the Paris way of life want the "je ne sais quoi" of their establishments to be recognized as both of global value and endangered.
They have launched a campaign to be named by the United Nations' cultural agency as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding." UNESCO has given that status to traditions as varied as a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual, Iranian sailboat building and the sung prayers of indigenous Peruvians.