Factsheet on International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)

Freedom of religion is both America’s first freedom and a universal human right. Yet many people around the world live in countries where this right is denied or restricted. 

Twenty years ago, the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended (IRFA), was enacted to elevate religious freedom as a higher priority in U.S. foreign policy. IRFA provides that U.S. policy includes condemning violations of religious freedom and assisting other governments in the promotion of this right. IRFA created a range of government tools to implement this policy.

IRFA is centered on promoting religious freedom as recognized in international law. This means the right to believe or not believe as one’s conscience leads, and live out one’s beliefs openly, peacefully, and without fear. The international instruments mentioned in IRFA that enshrine this fundamental right include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Helsinki Accords, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.