On a free video app cspan now or online at cspan network. A discussion on u. S. Policy regarding countries that dilate religious freedoms the u. S. Commission on International Religious freedom recommend the state department designate countries like china, afghanistan, pakistan, saudi arabia and nigeria and put them on the Department Special watch list. This is one hour. Dwight good afternoon and welcome everyone to the u. S. Commissions briefing called the impact on International Religious freedom. My name is Dwight Bashir and im the director of outreach and policy at the commission. And i know many of you are looking forward to i know many of you are looking forward to this weeks summit which is officially getting underway this morning. We have with us the cochair of the summits congressional advocacy. I want to invite him for just a minute to say a few words. [applause]oo good afternoon, everyone. This is an amazing event. On behalf of the International ReligiousFreedom Summit on the steering committee, ambassador sam and doctor, we welcome all of you also to this week at the summit. One of the reasons that we plan to do this event was the amazing synergy between this amazing body you serve in the civil society. Hearing congress on capitol hill diet is so important to do it here today, we have coalitions, typeface coalitions, over 70 faith organizations, dozens of Community Speaking for each other on the hill today. Over 50il live meetings in 24 hours. In each of these meetings, we are calling for the support for this valuable body. What is very important is there is great courses on capitol hill. Great voices for religious freedom. All of you that are here represent communities that have great voices. But we need a symphony. We need to come together and conduct our work together, shoulder to shoulder and solidarity. I am delighted that dwight and all ofze the folks have organizd this event and i hope that you enjoy it. You have our support on behalf of the summit. [applause] thank you for those words. This is our first public event in person, public event since bthe beginning of the pandemic. We are very happy to be up here capitol hill. A we have new commissioners as well. Just appointed in recent weeks. Without further ado i want to turn it over to our newly elected chair of the commissiono serving his second term. I will hand it right over to you. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Great to be with you this afternoon. I am honored to serve as the new chair. Is this better now . As was mentioned, last week i got elected as the chair of the commission. Last week also elected the vice chair to serve in a leadership team. Unfortunately, he will not be able to join us today. I am joined by commissioner stephen who will follow me to make some remarks. Commissioner was appointed by president biden. Also with us newly appointed commissioners. Commissioner wolf, a giant in religious freedom site who has recently been appointed by House Minority leader kevin mccarthy. We will also be sharing some opening remarks today. Commissioner eric hulin to my right appointed by senator Mitch Mcconnell hill is a minority leader in the senate. We also have several you serve Staff Members with us in this meeting today. I want to thank those of you who are in town for the first summit this week. A special thank you to the representatives here and the staff are reserving this room for us. As the summit kicks off this week with religious freedom advocates coming into town from all over the world, we wanted to take some time to talk about how we make policy recommendations to the u. S. Government and how we can be a source to you and your work. In 1998, the United StatesCongress Passed the freedom act commonly known to make a promotion of freedom of religion and the higher priority in the u. S. Foreign policy. We created in addition to the International Freedom office at the state department. In the position to oversee that office. We also urged the appointment of an advisor on the issue of the National Security council staffed at the white house. You serve as an independent bipartisan u. S. Government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad, using International Standards to assess conditions on the ground. Making recommendations to the president , secretary of state and congress. They have nine commissioners appointed by the president and congressional leadership of both lyrical parties and professional staff about 20. Commissioning private citizens volunteering this position. Aba different political party, different states, professional backgrounds and different parts of the country. If we all agree on the importance of freedom of religion or belief or everyone everywhere. The need to shine a light on the severe abuses so many individuals of all faith and of noncome before exercising their right to religious freedom. Abusing weather caused by the Government Action or inaction cannot be unchallenged. Research has found that countries uphold religious freedom have more vibrant demographicns political institutions. Rising economic social wellbeing, diminished tension and violence and greater stability. Nations that failed to protect basic human rights including religious freedom provide further ground for property and insecurity, war on terror and violence, radical movement. Let me now turn the floor over to the commissioner to speak about commissions reporting and some of the key recommendations. Thank you. Thank you, chair. The reporting focus on two groups of countries. Those we recommend the safe party designate as countries of particular concern or cbcs. Those that we recommend the state department place on that special watch list or s wl. Cpcs are countries whose governments engage in or tolerate systematic ongoing and agreed just violations of religious freedom. The s wl is for countries where the violations meet to, but not all three of the systematic ongoing and agreed just tests for cpcs status. In our 2022 annual report which covered up reporting period from january to december 2021, we recommended 15 countries for cpc status. Ten of which, the state department designated in 2021yard burma, china, iran, with korea, pakistan, russia, saudi arabia and turkmenistan. 1 we urge the state department to re designate a these 10 countries at cpcs in its 2022 designations. Which are expected later this year. We also hope the state department will name cpc five additional countries. Afghanistan, india, nigeria, syria and vietnam. Aiin addition, we recommend that the state department maintain on it special watch list three country, algeria, cuba and nicaragua. Add Nine Countries to that list. Central african republic, egypt, indonesia, iraq, because exxon, malaysia, turkey and is pakistan in addition, we also make a variety of other policy recommendations to the administration and congress. For example, we have been calling on the state department for years to refrain from issuing waivers for cpc countries which essentially releases the u. S. Government from takingma legislatively and dated punitive actions as a result of the designation such as sanctions. Currently, the u. S. Government athas waivers in place for four cpc designated countries so we continue to urge the administration to review u. S. Chpolicy towards these countries and to make appropriate policy that demonstrates meaningful consequences and encourage positive change. And congress, we continue to recommend that individualme members advocate for International Religious freedom i raising the issue and hearings for speeches, congressional delegations abroad and by sponsoring religious as nerves of conscience through the human rights commissions defending freedoms project. These kinds of actions push our government to do more and put pressure on foreign governments to live up to their treatyr obligations to defend freedom of religion or belief as enshrined in international law. With that, it is my great honor, honestly, to turn it over to commissioner frank wolf, a former congressman and key contributor back in 1998 and to talk about the recent policy recommendations that have been implemented as well as the case study on nigeria. And q,l stephen. I want to thank all of you for attending. I also appreciate the chairmans comments in the good work that he has done. I want to thank the commissioner , it is important for his remarks on cpc, but you have to know who he is. A distinguished political philosophy professor at a Catholic University which is a great university. He was a professor and aldepartment chair and also dea. I would like to introduce another commissioner that is present. Eric. Eric was appointed by Mitch Mcconnell. He was a senior official at the state Department Working on many of these issues at the state department and various spots. He was assistant to the president for legislative affairs which is one of the key jobs in the white house. He has had many staff positions up on capitol hill. Particularly in the United States senate. He was there sort of at the beginning it as chief of staff to former senator don nichols. He was closely involved in 1998. He has been involved in this issue from his negative branch, state department, also a key spot up on capitol hill in the United States senate which is a very unique place which very few of us understand. He does understand it. There is a lot of work to do. Ten years ago they did a survey in 70 of the worlds population lives in a religious or repressive nation. The latest, 80 . Maybe thes figures got even higher. Eightyone82. They have recommended a number ofha recommendations in the past year that have been successful. The call for the administration to determine atrocities committed in china and in burma constituting genocide. That the u. S. Government wiofficials should not attend te beijings 2022 Winter Olympics in china. The religious groups fleeing persecution should be, must be prioritized and resettlement efforts. Increasing the use of human rights sanction against individuals for religious freedom abuses. Authorizing the goal of the human rights act and the passage i know the chairman was very much involved in this. We hear forced labor prevention act. I think that this is very important. I appreciate stephens comments about nigeria in the cpc delegation to nigeria headed by the commissioner. The state department designated, as many of you remember, nigeria as a country particularly of concern for the first time in 2020. For some reason, delisted the country last year. The findings of the commission thconfirmed the position at the state department should redesignate nigeria as cpc this year. Interesting enough, in nigeria, there was an attack on the catholic church. On pentecost sunday that killed at least 40 people. Just a recent example of continued violence in nigeria where ad number of killings tht people faced have reached the thousands. Ee especially against christians. It seems almost last month. The designation is necessary. It is not sufficient to address the broad spectrum. Every day. Genocide, watch genocide. It is a big word. It is a powerful word. When the commission and others call what was taking place. Involved in genocide. Genocide. Clear. No question. Involved in genocidal massac years. Lately, against the catholic church, every day i get a new article. What the commission is saying to address these abuses. I close by saying this. The largest country in africa. Over 200 may be 20 million people. Many people believe. When you go there, they are good people. Looking to the United States to do something. Many people say so goes nigeria. We should do everything that we can to make sure that that does not take lace. We should be supportive of all the nigerian people. Thank you[a very much. [applause] thank you, commissioners. Thank you to all of you who have come to this event today. Fothis is more of a roundtable format. We want to open it up to any questions and comments. Really get the balance of the time to engage in commissioners. Some of the things we highlighted today are any other questions that may be on your minds. We have a microphone here that one of my colleagues will get. If you could speak into the microphone and ask a question. I will open the floor now to any of you that would like to please raise your hand. A comment or question this time. Thank you very much, dwight. I am lauren. I have been working here for 32 years. I guess my question is for any of the commissioners. Former congressman wolf. I wanted to bring up my issue of afghan religious minorities. Many of them are still stuck in afghanistan. A small number of people. They are at risk of death and were spared all kinds of terrible stories. They have actuated a large number of them. While other refugees are being processedbe, religious minoritis are not being processed because they dont have parenteral treatment. I really think that the only answer will be a ukraine type thing where religious groups in the u. S. Are willing to take care of their fellow believers. I am just wondering whether you commissioners have that on your radar a screen. It is just kind of an emergency because they will try to clear out the humanitarian city by the end of august which is just around the corner. Thank you. Okay, sure. No, ill just make a comment that we have made that f i will just make a comment he had we have made that formal recommendation for the p2 status they have made that recommendations. Unfortunately, as you will know, it is still on our radar. Thank you for asking that. Thank you so much for all thu work you are doing behind the scenes. Irt dont think all of us cance truly appreciate that, but we can acknowledge it. What key priorities and recommendations do you have . What new initiatives are collaborations you will put in place with state department or civil groups to make sure that those are stopped. Thank you. Go ahead. Im not speaking for the commission. Fred devi is not here. He can tell you where they spoke to and where it went. I am not speaking for the commission now. I think nigeria, i am speaking for myself. I think what needs to be done. If many of you recall, there was a very difficult time in sudan years ago. They credited president bush. He has since left the senate. He became the special envoy for sudan. Went over there quite frequently he went to organize the british that had a responsibility that they were not necessarily doing what they should have done. Able to organize the un. Having a person to be a special envoy for nigeria working on violence, but also to coordinate work with the british, work with hethe french, david easley, thee is tremendous hunger in nigeria. Camps of people that were starved. 10 or more of the children not going to school. Similar to what president bush and the secretary had great confidence in tab somebody was given that responsibility to coordinate all the efforts of our government, but also working with britain, but i have a special envoy for nigeria because if what others are saying, so goes this country, sf goes that. I am speaking now for myself. I was not on the trip. I would just add to that. As more questions come in, we have several staff that my colleagues that are shall list in these countries and regions. On nigeria specifically, one of the focuses that we have spent time on days the Current Administration has delisted nigeria from the country of particular concern list. We spoke out very strongly that we felt like the conditions in the country warranted that designation. As commissioner wolf said, we will have to wait to hear more from fred devi who was just there a few weeks ago. I can tell you this, he has felt that what he saw on the ground warrants that kind of designation based ono what he saw, based on who we talk to meeting with our embassy, meeting with religious communities and experts. This is something that we are focusing on. Conditions do not improve let alone deteriorate. Taking them off the list was not warranted. We have more detail in our reporting. Why dont we go to the next question. Hello, everyone. My name is pamela. Im calling from los angeles california. We know taiwan has very special in interNational Community. I am here to bring up this topic. I want to see if you can help to open a venue for this kind of case. Enqueue. Thank you very much for the question. I do believe that it is important for all of us to hear more details about this. There is more information available. If there is roleplay, absolutely. I think that our ears would be open and our creativity caps would beys on. Speaking for myself, not for the commission, there is a lot of passion and energy on behalf of many members here in congress about taiwan and the importance of standing in solidarity and vastly with taiwan especially given what has happened in europe since february of this year. Issues where we can find a way to put our voice forward and put a foot forward, if it is necessary, encouraging our department from time to time to be much more active and energetic. I think we could all be very curious. By all means, grab us afterwards to talk with us a little bit more. Bear with sse comes around with the mic. Thank you. Thank you very much. I am from sweden. The secretary of the international committee. In recent days, there has been some good news for pakistan as it is in the process of taken off the Financial Action task force. Itge used to be severely lackin. Getting worse and worse. Target killings have increased. In recent weeks, a father along with his two Young Children was stabbed and killed. They were dug up, bones investigated. All of these are sanctioned by the state. How can pakistan go out of thisf gray list and lack. In it is getting worse and worse. I will speak for myself because i do not know the commission has taken a position on that. When i was cochairman, it is terriblez. A close personal friend of mine. I share your concerns. Again, i am speaking now as an individual, not as a commission member. I completely agree, they are wonderful people and life has become very, very difficult. I share your concern. Im just speaking, again, for myself. I will j