UNCLASSIFIED   STATE   00044736 
O 012341Z MAY 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 7092

UNCLAS STATE 044736 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM PREF KPAO
 
SUBJECT: U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM RELEASE OF ANNUAL REPORT, MAY 1 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. The U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will release its Annual Report 
and recommendations on Countries of Particular Concern 
for systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of 
religious freedom (CPCs) on May 1.  This cable clarifies 
the identity and role of the Commission and provides 
points (para 6) posts may draw from in response to 
questions about USCIRF's report. 
 
¶2. (SBU) USCIRF is a Congressionally-mandated, 
independent commission.  It was created by the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRF Act), 
the same legislation which created the State Department's 
Office of International Religious Freedom, mandated the 
State Department's IRF Report, and created the Countries 
of Particular Concern designation.  The similarities 
between the names of the Commission on International 
Religious Freedom and the State Department's Office of 
International Religious Freedom have engendered confusion 
on numerous occasions, both domestically and 
internationally.  Though USCIRF is not part of the 
executive branch of the U.S. government, numerous host 
governments confuse USCIRF's annual report with the 
Department's IRF Report, confuse USCIRF's recommendations 
on CPCs with the Secretary's legal designation of CPCs, 
or believe that USCIRF has a connection to the State 
Department or otherwise represents USG views. 
 
¶3. (SBU) USCIRF's Report highlights a number of countries 
the Commission identifies as responsible for egregious 
violations of religious freedom, recommending that 
additional countries be designated CPCs and adding 
additional countries to USCIRF's 'watch list.'  The State 
Department does not maintain a watch list on religious 
freedom.  The report also includes policy recommendations 
for Congress and the Administration. 
 
¶4. (SBU) USCIRF has previously recommended to the 
Secretary that the following countries be designated as 
CPCs: Burma, China, DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, 
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and 
Vietnam.  USCIRF has recommended in this year's report 
that one additional country, Nigeria, be designated.  The 
Secretary of State makes CPC designations based on the 
State Department's IRF Report, as well as USCIRF's 
recommendations and other relevant information.  CPCs 
designated by the Secretary on January 16, 2009, are 
Burma, China, DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, 
and Uzbekistan. 
 
¶5. (U) Host governments for countries highlighted in the 
USCIRF report may confuse USCIRF's report, USCIRF's CPC 
recommendations, and USCIRF's watch list with USG 
actions.  Posts may want to draw on the following points 
in discussing the USCIRF report with host governments. 
 
-- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 
is an independent commission, not part of the State 
Department or any other USG executive branch agency. 
 
-- USCIRF's report reflects the views of the Commission, 
as well as the importance of religious freedom to the 
American people. 
 
-- The Department of State issues its Annual Report on 
International Religious Freedom (IRF Report) each fall. 
It is that report which provides the U.S. Government's 
views on the status of religious freedom in every country 
around the world. 
 
-- The Secretary of State makes CPC designations based on 
the IRF Report.  By law, the Secretary takes USCIRF's 
recommendations on CPCs into consideration.  The State 
Department does not maintain a "watch list" on religious 
freedom. 
 
-- The Secretary designated the following countries as 
CPCs in January 2009: Burma, China, DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, 
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. 
 
-- More information about USCIRF may be found at 
www.uscirf.gov.  Information about the State Department's 
annual IRF Report, CPCs, and other U.S. Government 
positions related to religious freedom may be found at 
www.state.gov/g/drl/irf. 
 
¶6. (U) Minimize considered. 
CLINTON