The Nation Newspaper
A Country of Particular Concern (CPC) is a designation by the United States Secretary of State (under authority delegated by the President) of a country responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 (H.R. 2431) and its amendment of 1999 (Public Law 106-55).
It is no longer news that US President Donald Trump has redesignated Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern’ (CPC).
Trump’s announcement on Friday was in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
It is not the first time the US President has made such a move. In the last year of his first term as President in 2020, Nigeria was designated a CPC. However, the Joe Biden administration later removed Nigeria from the list.
Trump’s redesignation comes after months of pressure from US lawmakers asking the President and Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, to make the move.
When the US designates a state as a CPC, congress is notified to impose non-economic policy options designed to bring about cessation of the particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Where these options have been exhausted, an economic measure follows.
Examples of both options could include strong diplomatic engagement and public condemnation, restricting or withdrawing development assistance, limiting or suspending security assistance, opposing loans, or blocking export licenses.
The most recent Countries of Particular Concern designations were made by the Secretary of State on December 29, 2023:
Burma
People’s Republic of China
Eritrea
Iran
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
Nicaragua
Pakistan
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
.