News from May 2023


2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Uzbekistan

Release: Executive Summary Title. The constitution provides for freedom of religion or belief and separation of government and religion. The law allows for restricting religious activities when necessary to maintain national security, the social order, or morality. The freedom of conscience and religion law further...


Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield to Travel to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Release: Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield will travel to Jordan from May 17-20, 2023. While in Jordan, Assistant Secretary Satterfield will advance key bilateral U.S.-Jordan public diplomacy efforts- such as promoting inclusive economic growth and education and...


2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Kazakhstan

Release: The constitution defines the country as a secular state and provides for freedom of religion and belief as well as the freedom to decline religious affiliation. The Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA), part of the Ministry of Information and Social Development (MISD), is responsible for religious issues.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Freedom House 2023 Annual Awards Ceremony

Release: SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Good evening, everyone.


DOS-OES grant application closes on June 30

Reducing Lead Pollution grant opened on May 17.


2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Pakistan

Release: The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and requires all provisions of the law to be consistent with Islam. The constitution states, “Subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion." The penal code sets...


Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Grundberg

Release: The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller.


2022 Report on International Religious Freedom:Tajikistan

Release: Executive Summary Title. The constitution provides for the right, individually or jointly with others, to adhere to any religion or to no religion and to participate in religious customs and ceremonies. The constitution states, “Religious associations shall be separate from the state and shall not interfere...


2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Kyrgyzstan

Release: Executive Summary Title. The constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion and bans religious groups from undertaking actions inciting religious hatred. It establishes the separation of religion and state and prohibits pursuit of political goals by religious groups. The law requires all...


DOS-OES offers new grant application process starting May 17

Combating Wildlife Trafficking through Civil Society Outreach and Awareness on Traditional Medicine grant opened on May 17.


Notice of Funding Opportunity: DRL Media Literacy in Europe

Release: This is the announcement of funding opportunity number SFOP0009739.



DRL Support for Recently Exiled Cuban Human Rights Defenders

Release: United States Department of State. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL). Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): DRL Support for Recently Exiled Cuban Human Rights Defenders. This is the announcement of funding opportunity number SFOP0009705. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.345...


Children and Armed Conflict in Nigeria and/or Ethiopia

Release: This is the announcement of funding opportunity number: SFOP0009765.


DOS-AFG grant application closes on June 19

Empowering Women for Economic Progress grant opened on May 17.


On World Press Freedom Day, the U.S. Department of State Announces More Than 200 Journalists from Over 100 Countries and Territories to Participate in Flagship Journalism Exchange in 2023

Release: Recognizing the vital role a free press plays in a free and democratic society, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announced today - on World Press Freedom Day - that more than 200 emerging journalists from over 100 countries and territories will participate...


Securing Semiconductors: How to Scale-up Global Semiconductor Production and Protect U.S. National Security at the Same Time  

Last August, Congress passed bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which will strengthen American manufacturing, supply chains, and national security, and invest in research and development, and science and technology to keep the United States the leader in nanotechnology, clean energy, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.


The Department of State Announces Reward Offer Against Russian Ransomware Actor

The impacts of ransomware attacks are significant and far-reaching, with victims suffering loss and disclosure of sensitive information and disruption of critical services.  Russia is a safe haven for cybercriminals, an environment in which ransomware actors are free to conduct malicious cyber operations against the United States and our partners and allies. Today, the State Department is announcing a reward offer, under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), of up to $10 million, for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Russian national Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev for transnational organized crime. We are taking these actions Matveev for his role in ransomware incidents targeting U.S. law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure around the world. In conjunction with this action, the Department of Justice unsealed two indictments against Matveev in the District of Columbia and the District of New Jersey. The Treasury Department also imposed financial sanctions on Matveev.


Assistant Secretary Stewart Travels to South Africa and Egypt

From May 6-12, 2023, Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Mallory Stewart will travel to Cape Town and Pretoria, South Africa, and Cairo, Egypt, to meet with leaders in government and academia, as well as NGO officials.


New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms

Under the New START Treaty, the United States and the Russian Federation are obligated to exchange data on treaty-accountable items twice a year.