Country of Particular Concern (CPC)
Context: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that India be designated as a "Country of Particular Concern"
It is a category of States which are performing poorly on religious freedom criteria
CPCs are countries which engage in or tolerate "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom
A total of 15 members have been recommended for the CPC designation
USCIRF has also called for "targeted sanctions" on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals or entities' assets and/ or barring their entry into the US
Importance of Country of Particular Concern (CPC)
- CPCs are countries whose governments either engage in or tolerate "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom, which are defined as "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of the Internationally recognized right to freedom of religion"
- Another designation for lesser violations is "Special watch List (SWL)"
- 14 countries have been under CPC-India, Pakistan, Burma, China, Eritrea, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikstan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam, Iran
- Special Watch List (SWL) countries are -Algeria, Cuba, Nicaragua, Azerbaijan, Central Africa Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan
- This is the third time in a row that India has received this tag
- USCIRF decisions are not binding on the United States of America
- the US can raise religious freedom issues while over talks about bilateral trade
About USCIRF
- It is an independent, bipartisan body created by the International Religious Freedom Act, of 1998 (IRFA)
- Objective to monitor religious freedom violations globally and make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress
- It is a congressionally created entity, not an NGO or advocacy organisation
- It is led by 9 part-time commissioners appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the House and the Senate
