News from May 2023
Joint U.S.-ROK Symposium on Countering DPRK Sanctions Evasion Involving DPRK IT Workers
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
Release: The U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) will co-host a U.S.- ROK Joint Symposium: Stopping DPRK Sanctions Evasion in the Remote IT Work Industry in San Francisco, CA, on May 24, 2023, as part of our ongoing efforts to both curb the Democratic People’s...
Launch of Education and Skills Development Working Group Furthers U.S.-India Cooperation
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
Release: Officials from the United States and India held the first meeting of the U.S.-India Education and Skills Development Working Group in hybrid format on May 22. The event was hosted by the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, and the Indian Ministry of Education’s Joint Secretary of International Cooperation, Neeta Prasad.
Signing of the U.S.-FSM Compact of Free Association-Related Agreements
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
News Release: On May 23, Charge d’Affaires Alissa Bibb of the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and Chief Negotiator Leo Falcam, Jr., of the FSM Joint Committee on Compact Review and Planning signed three agreements related to the U.S.-FSM Compact of Free Association: (1) an Agreement ...
Taking Joint Action with the Republic of Korea to Combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
News Release: The United States is steadfast in our commitment to combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) illicit activities to generate revenue by stealing funds from global financial institutions and other entities.
Taking Joint Action with the Republic of Korea to Combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
Release: The United States is steadfast in our commitment to combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) illicit activities to generate revenue by stealing funds from global financial institutions and other entities.
State Department discusses 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Request for Advisory Opinion on May 23
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
The US State Department published a one page notice on May 23, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: China—Macau
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) grants residents freedom of religious belief, freedom to preach and participate in religious activities in public, and freedom to pursue religious education.
The United States Announces $245 Million in Humanitarian Assistance to Sudan and Neighboring Countries
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
News Release: Last week the United States announced $245 million in additional support to the people of Sudan and neighboring countries experiencing the impacts of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. These funds include nearly $143 million from the Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugee and Migration and $103 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Vietnam
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution states that all individuals have the right to freedom of belief and religion.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: China—Tibet
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which cites the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), states that citizens “enjoy freedom of religious belief,” but it limits protections for religious practice to “normal religious activities” without defining “normal.
Determination and Certification of Countries Not Cooperating Fully With Antiterrorism Efforts discussed on May 23 by State Department
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
The US State Department published a two page notice on May 23, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Timor-Leste
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and worship and freedom of religious instruction.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Australia
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution bars the federal government from making any law that imposes a state religion or religious observance, prohibits the free exercise of religion, or establishes a religious test for a federal public office.
Chairman McCaul Reads Afghanistan Dissent Channel Cable and State Response
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
News Release: Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the following statement today after reading the July 2021 Dissent Channel cable on the Afghanistan withdrawal. Previous Dissent Channel cable authors, Ambassadors Boyatt, Crocker, and Jeffrey, have said it’s important that Congress has access to these cables and that it would not have a chilling effect.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Papua New Guinea
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution provides for freedom of conscience, thought, and religion and the right to practice religion freely, except where that practice infringes on another person’s rights or where it violates public laws, safety, and the welfare of marginalized groups.
ICYMI: Taiwan Deserves a Place at the Annual World Health Assembly
By State Newswire | May 24, 2023
News Release: This week, delegates from World Health Organization (WHO) member states will gather in Geneva for the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) - and once again, this key meeting on global health priorities will exclude Taiwan. It is unconscionable, especially after the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) coverup...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Fiji
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution establishes a secular state and protects freedom of religion, conscience, and belief. It also mandates the separation of religion and state.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Kiribati
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution provides for freedom of religion. Religious groups with memberships equal to or greater than 2 percent of the population are required to register with the government.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Burma
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
In 2021, the military overthrew the democratically elected civilian government, declaring a state of emergency and creating a State Administration Council, a military-run administrative organization led by armed forces Commander in Chief (CINC) Min Aung Hlaing that assumed executive, legislative, and judicial functions.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Indonesia
By State Newswire Report | May 24, 2023
The constitution provides a guarantee of freedom of religion and the right to worship according to one’s own beliefs, but it states that citizens must accept restrictions established by law to protect the rights of others and to satisfy “just demands based upon considerations of morality, religious values, security, and public order in a democratic society.”