U.S. Mission Ireland

This year marks the 23rd release of the International Religious Freedom Report and 23rd anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act — the legislation that affirmed the importance of defending and advancing religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy, created the Office of International Religious Freedom, and mandated the annual report.

Each year, the members of this office, along with State Department employees at posts around the world, work vigorously to draft, edit, and prepare the report, which documents the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories.    

The International Religious Freedom (IRF) report is designed to spotlight examples of government and societal action that typify and illuminate issues reported in each country.  The State Department’s guiding principle is to ensure that all relevant information is presented as objectively, thoroughly, and fairly as possible.  This report informs critical U.S. foreign policy decisions, including decisions for targeted sanctions and diplomatic engagement or foreign assistance programs that address abuses and violations of religious freedom in key countries.  It serves as a trusted resource for foreign governments and legislators, human rights advocates, religious communities, academic researchers, members of Congress, and everyday Americans for reliable information on religious freedom developments around the world.    

The International Religious Freedom Report 2020 is available from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom and allows access to all separate sections as well as the creation of a custom report.

This report covers the period between January 01 and December 31, 2020.

• Overview and Acknowledgements of the International Religious Freedom Report 2020
• Ireland Section of International Religious Freedom Report 2020: HTML (webpage) or as a PDF
• Briefing with Senior Official Daniel Nadel, Office of International Religious Freedom On the Release of the 2020 International Religious Freedom Report (State.gov)