The THF has been presented to the UN's Public Information/Non-Governmental Organisation Conference in Gyeongju ©WTF

A presentaton highlighting the merits of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) project has been given to the United Nations as the scheme continues to move forward after its formal setting-up last year.

An address was given at a workshop entitled "Peace Education" Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organisations Conference in Gyeongju.

The THF’s concept and mission to empower refugees through taekwondo and related educational programmes was highlighted.

This included details of pilot projects underway in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey, and in earthquake-struck regions of Nepal, as well as the recent establishment and launch of its website.

THF PR Ambassador Andrew Salmon briefed participants on the benefits of taekwondo as "a sport, exercise, self-defence and mental discipline".

It comes as British star and reigning Olympic champion Jade Jones was unveiled as one of the bodies new athlete ambassadors ©WTF
It comes as British star and reigning Olympic champion Jade Jones was unveiled as one of the bodies new athlete ambassadors ©WTF

He explained how easy and economical it would be to deploy to refugee camps and disaster zones, before expressing his hope that the THF would be able to align its operations with many established NGOs working with refugees worldwide.

It comes as athlete ambassadors are unveiled for the project.

These include Britain's London 2012 Olympic champion Jade Jones, former Briton turned Moldovan star Aaron Cook, and Raheleh Asemani, a Syrian-born athlete who qualified to compete as a refugee at Rio 2016 only to subsequently gain Belgian citizenship.

The THF is organised by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), and is the brainchild of WTF President Chungwon Choue.

He has already explained the project to the UN in a special presentation and taekwondo demonstration event at the organisation's New York City Headquarters on the “International Day of Peace” on September 21, 2015.