Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the President is required to annually review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). The law defines particularly severe violations as “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom,” including violations such as: (1) torture; (2) prolonged detention without charges; (3) forced disappearance; or (4) other flagrant denial of life, liberty, or security of persons.
In this post we explore how the United States Department of State uses the “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) designation under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to call out nations that commit systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. We’ll walk through what the label really means, how countries qualify, and provide the current list of CPC-designated countries (and what the implications might be). Whether you’re tracking global human rights, foreign-policy shifts, or simply curious about how this designation works—you’ll get a clear overview.
Countries of Particular Concern as at Dec 2023
The most recent Countries of Particular Concern designations were made by the Secretary of State on December 29, 2023:
Burma, People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
0 Comments