The Act Established Two Separate Entities and Outlined Their Responsibilities

			The Act Established State’s Office and Ambassador-at- Large for International Religious Freedom and Outlined State’s Responsibilities

In accordance with the Act, State created the Office of International  Religious Freedom (the Office) in 1999, headed by the Ambassador-at- Large for International Religious Freedom (the Ambassador). USCIRF Is Implementing Its Primary Responsibilities as Outlined in the Act and Has Undertaken Other Activities

USCIRF is implementing its primary responsibilities as outlined in the Act  by conducting an ongoing review of violations of religious freedom  throughout the world and issuing policy recommendations to the  President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. According to USCIRF  officials, the culmination of these activities is the release of its own annual  report on international religious freedom, which the Act also requires.Based on USCIRF’s ongoing reviews, the report discusses the 20 to 30  countries that USCIRF considers the worst offenders of religious freedom  and presents policy recommendations to the U.S. government. For example, in USCIRF’s 2012 annual report, a  commissioner dissented from the CPC recommendation for Iraq, stating  that USCIRF’s report, among other things, did “not establish either that  the government  engaged itself in severe violations or that it  tolerated them.” Further, the commissioner stated that USCIRF’s report  “only establishes the existence of such violations and the inability of the  government to prevent them always (or prevent them often).”

		USCIRF Has Provided Technical Assistance and Recommendations to Foreign Officials

In addition to carrying out the primary responsibilities laid out in the Act,  USCIRF at times has provided technical assistance and  recommendations to foreign officials through meetings, letters, press  releases, and editorials. Meetings with foreign officials. For example, USCIRF recommended in its 2012  annual report that the Secretary of State designate Turkey as a CPC. The  Ambassador was not regularly attending USCIRF meetings at the time,  and State officials learned of USCIRF’s intent to recommend Turkey only  shortly before USCIRF published its report in March 2012. Turkish officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  said in a press release that USCIRF’s report directly contradicted State’s  annual report on religious freedom, and called the USCIRF report “null  and void.” State officials told us that they had to resolve the resulting  tensions with the Turkish government. In addition, according to State officials, because the Ambassador and  commissioners have not defined how they should interact, they have at  times communicated conflicting information to foreign governments on  behalf of the United States. NGOs Generally Rated Overall U.S. Government Efforts Positively While Raising Some Concerns and Suggesting Several Improvements

The NGOs—religious organizations and other civil society groups—that  we surveyed, as well as NGO representatives whom we interviewed,  generally rated overall U.S. government, State, and USCIRF efforts to  promote international religious freedom positively. Likewise, NGOs that were familiar with State’s and USCIRF’s  annual reports generally viewed both reports positively, although several  raised concerns about a lack of objectivity in each report. Finally, NGOs  generally viewed CPC designations positively, although some doubted  the helpfulness of the designations to their own religious freedom work. In response to the mandate, this report  assesses (1) the Department of State’s (State) implementation of its  primary responsibilities established in the International Religious Freedom  Act of 1998 (the Act); (2) the U.S. Commission on International Religious  Freedom’s (USCIRF) implementation of its primary responsibilities  established in the Act; (3) State’s and USCIRF’s interaction in their efforts  to promote religious freedom; and (4) NGOs’ views on U.S. efforts to  promote international religious freedom. Of the 131 NGOs, 84 responded to the survey. The  survey addressed the Department of State’s (State) and the U.S.  Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) international  religious freedom activities, including their respective annual reports;  State’s designations, and USCIRF’s recommendations for designations,  of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC); overall U.S. government  progress on international religious freedom; and U.S. international  religious freedom policy.
Why GAO Did This Study

Congress passed the Act in 1998 to promote international religious freedom, among other purposes. The Act established within State the Office of International Religious Freedom, headed by an Ambassador-at-Large. The Act also established USCIRF, with the Ambassador-at-Large as an ex-officio member. In addition, the Act outlined primary responsibilities for both State and USCIRF.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011required GAO to report on matters related to the U.S. promotion of international religious freedom. This report assesses (1) States implementation of its primary responsibilities established in the Act, (2) USCIRFs implementation of its primary responsibilities established in the Act, (3) States and USCIRFs interaction to promote religious freedom, and (4) NGOs views on U.S. efforts to promote religious freedom.
GAO analyzed documents and interviewed officials from State, USCIRF, NGOs, and foreign governments. GAO conducted fieldwork in five countries, including CPCs, and surveyed 131 NGOs. The survey results reflect the views of survey respondents and cannot be generalized.

What GAO Found

The Department of State (State) is implementing the primary responsibilities outlined in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (the Act) by undertaking numerous actions to promote religious freedom, engaging with foreign officials, and annually publishing its International Religious Freedom Report. The Ambassador-at-Large and the Office of International Religious Freedom assist the Secretary of State with certain responsibilities outlined in the Act, including the designation of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and the development of training.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is implementing its primary responsibilities outlined in the Act by conducting ongoing reviews of violations of religious freedom and issuing policy recommendations to the U.S. government. According to USCIRF officials, its primary responsibilities culminate in the release of its annual report. The report discusses the 20 to 30 countries that USCIRF considers the worst offenders against religious freedom, and it presents policy recommendations to the U.S. government. USCIRF has at times also provided technical assistance or recommendations to foreign officials.
Although the Act, as amended, directs State and USCIRF to cooperate, they have not defined how they should interact, which has at times created tensions with foreign-government officials. For example, in its 2012 report, USCIRF recommended that the Secretary of State designate Turkey as a CPC. Because the Ambassador-at-Large was not regularly attending USCIRF meetings at the time, State officials learned of the commissioners' intent shortly before USCIRF published its report. State officials explained that Turkey did not warrant CPC designation, as it had taken steps to improve religious freedom, but USCIRF proceeded with its recommendation. According to Turkish officials, USCIRF's report contradicted State's report and was therefore "null and void." State officials told GAO that they had to resolve the resulting tensions with the Turkish government.
Representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) whom GAO surveyed and interviewed generally viewed overall U.S. government efforts to promote international religious freedom positively, while raising some concerns and suggesting several improvements. To better promote international religious freedom, some NGOs suggested greater inclusion of civil society and other nonstate actors and further empowerment of U.S. government entities. Likewise, NGOs familiar with State's and USCIRF's annual reports generally viewed them positively, although several raised concerns that both reports lacked objectivity. Finally, NGOs generally viewed State's CPC designations positively, although some doubted how useful the designations or recommended designations were to their work. NGOs from GAO's five fieldwork countries provided similar opinions.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Secretary of State and the Chair of USCIRF jointly define how State and USCIRF should interact in their efforts to promote international religious freedom. State and USCIRF concurred with GAO's recommendation.