User:Chungyo/World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU)

The World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU, 세계무술연맹) is an international organization authorized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a non-profit corporation. WoMAU is an official cooperative NGO of UNESCO and an advisory NGO to the Intergovernmental Committee on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritages. 67 martial arts organizations from 46 countries are registered as members as of 2021.

Inauguration
The World Martial Arts Union(WoMAU) was founded on October 2, 2002, when 28 martial arts organizations from 26 countries participating in the Chungju Martial Arts Festival, which began in 1998 to promote Taekkyon as a national intangible cultural asset and developed into a world festival, agreed to play a central role in disseminating the value of peace and justice of martial arts.

Developement
Since then, WoMAU has preserved and promoted traditional martial arts through various international martial arts exchange projects such as general meetings, festivals, and seminars held regularly in Chungju city every year. As an extension of such activities, it knocked on UNESCO to become the world's first UNESCO non-governmental organization in the field of martial arts (approved as an official partner by UNESCO with consultative-status in 2009 and in 2010, accredited as an advisory NGO to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage). This led to a change in UNESCO's perception that martial arts is also a part of human culture and it became a historical turning point for the spread of the perception that traditional martial arts should also be preserved as a valuable cultural heritage of humanity.

Following that, to lead international martial arts activities in close cooperation with UNESCO at the national level, WoMAU proposed the establishment of the International Center for Martial Arts (ICM) to the Korean government in 2011 and in the entire process of the establishment of the Center, it took charge of practical affairs and successfully made a UNESCO category 2 Institute attracted to Korea.

Furthermore, recently, the World Martial Arts Union launched an international exchange project under the name of the UNESCO listed Martial Arts Promotion Committee in order to seek business cooperation with UNESCO to put its goal of playing a central role of the world martial arts on track based on its global membership network.

Present
As of 2021, the WoMAU's membership consists of 67 organizations from 46 countries.

Organizational Configuration
The General Assembly (Chairman 1 & Vice-Chairperson 6) is the highest-level voting body, and the Board of Directors (Director 16 & Audit 1) shall be established under it.

The secretariat, led by the president, has eight permanent employees, including the secretary-general.

Main Activities
- Researching(seminars, academic conferences, etc.), collect, exchange and disseminate the information and materials on traditional martial arts.

- Hold and support domestic and international martial arts events.

- Cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations.

- Cooperation with related agencies such as the International Centre of Martial Arts (ICM) and the World Martial Arts Masterships Committee (WMC).

History
The chronology is as follows.

2018, Oct.26, Organize a UNESCO-listed Martial Arts Promotion Committee

2015, Jan.1, Chung Hwa-tae (former ambassador to Laos) takes office as the second president

2013~2017, Operate the Culture Partnership Initiative (CPI) program as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

2011, Nov.26, Support for Taekkyon to be listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

2011~2015, Operate the ICM(International Centre of Martial Arts) Establishment Promotion Team (~2015)

2010, Jun.23 UNESCO accredited WoMAU as an Advisory NGO

2009, Apr.24 Obtain an Official Partnership(Operational Relationship) with UNESCO (changed the name in 2012 as: Consultative Partnership)

2008, Jun.25 Permitted as a Non-profit Corporation from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs registered WoMAU as its affiliated NGO (Permission No.581)

2003, Mar.25 Registered as a Non-profit Private Organization under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Registration No.36)

2002, Oct.2 Launch of the World Martial Arts Union, and held the first General Meeting and the inauguration of So Byung-Yong (former U.N. ambassador) as the first president

External Link
WoMAU Hompage