ITF is the International Taekwon-Do Federation, founded on March 22, 1966 in Seoul (south) Korea, by General Choi Hong Hi, who developed Taekwon-Do, to promote the teaching of this martial art.
At that time, nine countries were involved: Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, USA, Turkey, Italy, and Egypt. Taekwon-Do is now taught in almost every country in the world, and General Choi is recognized as the Father of Taekwon-Do.
The mission of the ITF is to represent, promote, and work for the development of the practice of Taekwon-Do in all countries by coordinating and certifying Taekwon-Do activities such as competitions and seminars setting and enforcing high quality standards for technical and teaching identifying and collaborating with affiliated organizations, such as Continental Federations, National Associations, and Allied National Associations, providing assistance to local Taekwon-Do organizations Certification for Black Belt holders, international instructors and umpires.
The theme for the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) is “Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth”. This theme is timely and in line with the current African and international development agenda. Ending poverty and overcoming hunger and food insecurity permanently come first and second, respectively, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in September 2015 by UN member States. This commitment is also stressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 that recognizes the right of all Africans to be well-nourished and lead healthy and productive lives. Furthermore, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), as well as the June 2014 Malabo declaration, highlight that a structural transformation of African agriculture is central to growth and poverty eradication on the continent. Consistent with these goals, agriculture and industrialization are at the heart of the work by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and their vision and long-term strategy for a prospered and inclusive Africa.