The governing body said it was "reinforcing" its commitment to athlete safety.

It follows a recommendation made by the World Taekwondo Para Taekwondo Committee which has analysed data from various tournaments.

Adding a face shield to the helmet will provide further protection and minimise injuries, the organisation said.

Taekwondo will appear at the Paralympics for the first time in Tokyo, with three men's and three women's weight divisions scheduled.

Competition will take place between September 3 and 5 at Makuhari Messe in the Japanese capital.

"The welfare of athletes is our number one priority and at World Taekwondo we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure our athletes' safety," said World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue. 

"We therefore fully support the Para Taekwondo Committee's decision to introduce face shields for athletes. 

"We are very excited for taekwondo's Paralympic debut in Tokyo and we want to make sure athletes are able to focus solely on competing at their very best."

World Taekwondo said that further safety measures are also being considered.

"We have a low injury occurrence but we are always looking at ways we can reduce injuries even further," said Chakir Chelbat, the chairman of the Para Taekwondo Committee.

"We have been analysing competition data extensively to identify what adjustments need to be made and have determined that the introduction of face protectors will offer athletes greater protection without impeding their ability to compete. 

"We have no doubt that the Para-taekwondo competition at Tokyo 2020 will be a fantastic event and will showcase our sport at its very best."