The term “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) dominates headlines again globally, following a recent comment by the United States President Donald Trump on the alleged Christian genocide saga in Nigeria, announcing the designation of the West African country as a Country of Particular Concern.
The CPC list includes nations found to have committed or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 and its 1999 amendment.
The designation empowers the US Secretary of State, under authority delegated by the President, to identify such countries and recommend policy actions ranging from diplomatic sanctions to economic restrictions aimed at curbing religious oppression.
This year’s update also comes with renewed attention on Nigeria, which has been redesignated by United States President Donald Trump as a country of particular concern, a move linked to allegations of persecution of Christians in the country.
Nigeria first appeared on the CPC list in 2020 during Trump’s first term, but was later delisted by the Joe Biden administration. The new redesignation follows sustained pressure from US lawmakers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging stronger action on religious freedom issues.
According to US policy, countries on the CPC list face non-economic and, in some cases, economic measures, such as diplomatic engagement or public condemnation, suspension or limitation of security and development assistance, opposition to international loans, and blocking of export licenses
Below is the full list of countries currently designated as “Countries of Particular Concern” as of December 29, 2023:
1. Burma (Myanmar)
2. People’s Republic of China
3. Cuba
4. Eritrea
5. Iran
6. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)
7. Nicaragua
8. Pakistan
9. Russia
10. Saudi Arabia
11. Tajikistan
12. Turkmenistan
The list underscores growing global concern over the suppression of religious freedom, with the US maintaining that nations designated as CPC must take significant steps toward ensuring the protection of religious rights for all citizens.