The purpose of The Circle of Permanent Delegates of UNESCO is to facilitate communication and to promote informal contacts amongst its members. It is not associated with any ideological or political orientation or specificity.

 Membership is open to Ambassadors, Permanent Delegates, Permanent Observers, and Deputy Permanent Delegates. The Circle is guided by a Bureau composed of one Chairperson, one Secretary-General, one Treasurer, and nine (9) Vice-Chairmen.

Only a member of the Bureau can be appointed as a Chairperson and their term of office, unless they relinquish their posts earlier, is co-terminus with their tour of duty. The activities that members of the Circle partake in included a weekly gathering that is held on Thursday in the Salon des Délégués.

- In addition to these weekly gatherings, members may use the Salon for cultural receptions and exhibition purposes. In addition, the Circle, through the Chairman, can organize cultural events outside its premises and visits to museums in France, as well as visits to various countries. These trips were organized by members of the Circle of Delegation in order to visit heritage cities.They have included visits to; Croatia from the 30th of January to the 4th of February, 2004, Lithuania from the 21st to the 26th of May, 2004, Italy and the Holy See from the 6th to the 9th of May, 2004, Oman from the 22nd to the 24th of November, 2004 and then again from the 26th of February to the 6th of March, 2007, Portugal from the 16th to the 19th of June, 2005, and Jordan from the 17th to the 22nd of May, 2007.