22 U.S.C. § 6432 — Duties of Commission

(a) The Commission’s main responsibilities are to review annually and continuously the facts and circumstances of religious-freedom violations in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices^*, the Annual Report^*, the Executive Summary^*, and other appropriate sources; and to recommend international-religious-freedom policies to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.

(b) For countries whose governments engaged in or tolerated violations, including particularly severe violations, the Commission^* must consider and recommend options such as diplomatic inquiries or protests, official public protest, a protest demarche, condemnation in multilateral forums, delaying or canceling cultural or scientific exchanges or working, official, or state visits, reducing or ending certain assistance, targeted or broad trade sanctions, and withdrawing the chief of mission.

(c) For countries deliberately taking steps and significantly improving respect for religious freedom, it must consider options such as private, diplomatic, official-public, or multilateral commendation; more cultural or scientific exchanges; ending or reducing Presidential actions; more assistance; and invitations for working, official, or state visits.

(d) With recommendations under (b) and (c), it must state its evaluation of the possible effects of implementing the policies on religious communities and individuals whose rights were found violated.

(e) The Commission must continuously monitor violation facts and circumstances, consulting independent human-rights groups and nongovernmental organizations, including churches and other religious communities, and make needed recommendations to appropriate United States officials and offices. It must regularly track the Government’s implementation of its recommendations and, as far as practicable, review whether implemented recommendations advance religious freedom internationally.