“Empower Yourself with Taekwondo”

President Chungwon Choue,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome President Chungwon Choue and the World Taekwondo Federation to the Palais des Nations. I would like to thank the Federation for making this event possible and for transforming the Palais into a veritable “dojang”.

It is not the first time the United Nations Organization has had to opportunity to host the World Taekwondo Federation Demonstration Team. Last year, 700 UN officials and students were treated to this unique performance during the International Day of Peace at UN Headquarters. We very much look forward to reliving this experience at UNOG, which was such a success in New York.

The art of Taekwondo has long carried with it a culture and philosophy that teaches respect, commitment, responsibility and perseverance. These values lie at the heart of the United Nations Charter and are shared by peoples throughout the world. Sport is a powerful vehicle to promote these ideals and a driver for social inclusion, gender equality and youth development. It encourages individuals to take on challenges, build strong relationships and strive with others towards common goals.

Sport and physical education is a fundamental right. Yet, too many people around the world do not have access to sports, or are actively denied their right. This is particularly true of the almost 60 million refugees and migrants worldwide. We are currently witnessing a large migratory flow and the limited resources of international agencies are by necessity prioritized for the immediate essentials: food, housing, health and education. It is in this environment that we need partners willing to provide opportunities for all people, everywhere, to engage in sport.

For the United Nations, the World Taekwondo Federation has proven to be just such a partner. In recent years, the Federation has taken action under the Sustainable Development Goal on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. In 2013, the Federation established the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation to raise awareness of the condition of refugees and to promote their well-being through sports, the first time an international Sport Federation established a fund for this purpose.

In March of this year, the World Taekwondo Federation and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees agreed to cooperate in running Taekwondo academies in refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey, providing Syrian youths with courses on Taekwondo, leadership skills, Olympism and English. Other academies will be set up for refugees in Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Greece.

Last year, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach announced at the United Nations in New York that refugee athletes would be invited to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In response to this, the World Taekwondo Federation amended its rules to allow refugee Taekwondo athletes to compete. Thanks to this decision, refugee athlete Ms. Raheleh Asemani will walk under the Olympic banner this summer in Rio de Janeiro, an inspiration for refugees everywhere.

President Choue, allow me to thank you and the Federation for your efforts to advance our shared goal of a healthier, more prosperous future for all, and for your close collaboration with the United Nations here in Geneva and around the world. Through the Federation’s efforts you have transformed Taekwondo , or “way of fist and foot”, into the way of peace and development.

Thank you very much.