FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - Members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) met recently in New York with Ms. Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Commissioners discussed with the UN Special Rapporteur countries and thematic issues of mutual concern. Ms. Jahangir was appointed Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in July 2004 and replaced Abdelfattah Amor.

Commissioners and policy staff had a productive exchange with Ms. Jahangir about countries USCIRF has designated as CPC and Watch List countries based on their religious freedom records. Commissioners also discussed with the Special Rapporteur mutual opportunities to further freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief throughout the world. They discussed the need to protect such freedoms within individual rights frameworks and national constitutions, and to protect the rights of belief and conscience for all individuals to dissent within their respective traditions.

USCIRF Chair Preeta D. Bansal said, "We look forward to sharing information and insights with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in order to help protect individuals from violations of their internationally recognized human rights, and to promote compliance with the international norms in our respective mandates."

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today on Capitol Hill held its first China Human Rights Forum titled Talking with China about Human Rights: Assessing the Future of Bilateral Human Rights Dialogues. The United States and China are currently negotiating a resumption of their bilateral human rights dialogue. The European Union, Canada, and Australia are all reviewing the effectiveness of their bilateral human rights dialogues. The Forum was convened at this opportune time in order to assess bilateral dialogues with China from an international perspective and to discuss their efficacy, as well as ways to improve and more thoroughly coordinate the various bilateral and multilateral dialogues in the future.

"Forum participants offered recommendations about the future of bilateral human rights dialogues and ways, if any, that they can be improved. Participants discussed problems and shared new approaches and best practices from around the globe," said USCIRF Chair Preeta D. Bansal.

The Commission's China Human Rights Forum was created to bring together U.S. government officials, international and academic experts, NGO representatives, and human rights activists for off-the-record discussions on human rights and U.S.-China relations. In past years the Commission has held China Religion Roundtables on Xinjiang and on U.S. policy to promote religious freedom in China. Forums seek to ensure that religious freedom goals are well integrated into the programs of government agencies and regional and international institutions to which both the United States and China belong.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

Preeta D. Bansal, Chair

• Felice D. Gaer, Vice Chair Nina Shea,Vice Chair Archbishop Charles J. ChaputMichael CromartieKhaled Abou El FadlElizabeth H. ProdromouBishop Ricardo RamirezMichael K. YoungAmbassador John V. Hanford III,Ex-Officio Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - A staff delegation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently visited Eritrea, which was designated a "country of particular concern" (CPC) by the State Department in September. The delegation discussed the religious freedom situation in formal meetings with leaders of the four major faiths sanctioned by the Eritrean government as well as with unregistered religious groups, senior Eritrean government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and members of the U.S. and foreign diplomatic communities.

In early 2004, the Commission recommended that the State Department designate Eritrea as a CPC. In its annual report it noted that the government of Eritrea engages in particularly severe violations of freedom of religion and belief. It violates the rights of members of various religious groups, including closing churches not belonging to officially recognized denominations, arresting participants at prayer meetings and other gatherings, and imprisoning armed forces members reportedly found in possession of certain religious literature.

"Following previous refusals to discuss religious freedom, citing national security concerns, the Eritrean government has recently agreed to do so," said USCIRF Chair Preeta D. Bansal. "One can only hope that this new openness will lead to improvements in religious freedom conditions in Eritrea. The Commission continues to monitor the situation closely as it begins its annual CPC deliberation process and will be developing appropriate policy recommendations to the U.S. Government."

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.