One of USCIRF’s key functions is to make recommendations to the State Department about which countries we think should be designated as Countries of Particular Concern or CPCs, based on our independent research and analysis. Every year we await the State Department’s announcement of its religious freedom designations to assess how they match up with USCIRF’s recommendations.

On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Abraham Cooper and Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie join us to discuss the State Department’s most recent CPC designations—specifically the countries we think should have been added to this list including India, Nigeria, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Syria. 

Read USCIRF’s Press Release on the 2023 State Department IRF Designations

With Contributions from:

Abraham Cooper, Chair, USCIRF

Frederick A. Davie, Vice Chair, USCIRF

Elizabeth Cassidy, Director of Research & Policy, USCIRF

Veronica McCarthy, Public Affairs Associate, USCIRF