USCIRF Releases Report Analyzing State Department CPC Designations

USCIRF Releases Report Analyzing State Department CPC Designations

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Revisiting the CPC Designation: Improving Accountability and Engaging Productively to Advance Religious Freedom Abroad – This report assesses the U.S. government’s use of “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, designations over the 25 years since the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) was enacted and makes recommendations to improve the effectiveness of these designations.

The requirement to name foreign governments that egregiously violate religious freedom as CPCs and take some action against them is a core component of IRFA. Based on key informant interviews and document and discourse analysis, the report finds that while IRFA has elevated the promotion of religious freedom abroad as a U.S. foreign policy priority and galvanized a global effort to advance this fundamental human right, the CPC mechanism has been more effective at condemning violations of religious freedom than at encouraging foreign governments to change policy. To date, the State Department has issued 19 sets of CPC designations, naming 17 different countries as CPCs 164 times. In the vast majority of cases, however, the designations have not been accompanied by any action specifically directed at the religious freedom violations at issue, limiting their ability to produce improvements. The report evaluates where CPC designations have proven most effective across three situations: collaboration; designations with waivers; and as part of punitive sanctions. It also includes case studies on Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan, including lessons learned from U.S. diplomatic efforts in those countries. The report concludes by recommending steps the State Department and Congress could take to make improvements in the areas of action planning, use of sanctions, use of bilateral agreements, engagement, and accountability.

To learn more about IRFA, see USCIRF’s Factsheet on the International Religious Freedom Act. For an overview of key accomplishments on religious freedom abroad since IRFA’s enactment, see USCIRF’s Factsheet on the 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act. In October 2023, USCIRF held an event on IRFA’s First 25 Years: Accomplishments and Next Steps. In January 2024, USCIRF issued a Retrospective on IRFA.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].