U.S. Department of State Fiscal Year 2020 Agency Financial Report

Religious Freedom Ministerials Bring Spotlight to Safeguarding Unalienable Rights I n November, the government of Poland will host the third Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom virtually. In 2018 and 2019, Secretary Pompeo hosted the landmark Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom events in Washington, D.C. – the largest human rights events ever hosted at the U.S. Department of State. These events convened government leaders and civil society from all over the world to discuss ways to increase the promotion and protection of religious freedom globally. The 2018 ministerial took place from July 24-26 in Washington, D.C. and was the first ever gathering of its scale focused exclusively on international religious freedom. Outcomes of the meeting included establishment of the International Religious Freedom Fund, funded by the United States and several other nations, to provide emergency assistance to victims of religious discrimination; follow-on regional conferences; and the creation by Germany, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan of ambassadorships focused on religious freedom. The second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, from July 16 to 18, 2019, was the largest-ever religious freedom event as well as the largest human rights-focused conference ever hosted by the State Department. With more than 1,000 civil society and religious leaders and 105 foreign delegations in attendance, this gathering marked the first time a Secretary of State convened back-to-back ministerials on the same human rights issue. Secretary Pompeo used the occasion to the launch of the International Religious Freedom Alliance, a group of like- minded nations dedicated to working to confront religious persecution around the world. He echoed the call for participation in remarks at the Vatican in October 2019. Participants gather at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., July 24, 2018. Department of State Building on the second ministerial, President Trump hosted the “Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom” at the U.N. General Assembly on September 23, 2019. The event convened foreign heads of state, prominent religious leaders, and key civil society activists. The President called on all nations to act to end religious persecution and stop crimes against persons of faith. Survivors of religious persecution from China, Iran, and Yemen shared testimonials of how they endured persecution on account of their faith. 138 | U ni ted S tates D epartment of S tate 2020 A gency F inanci al R eport