An experienced investment professional with more than two decades of experience, Nadia Cavner spent many years as the president of her own private firm. Now, Nadia Cavner focuses primarily on philanthropic endeavors and supports the work of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Recently, she attended a reception hosted by USCIRF to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
In its first Ministerial on International Religious Freedom, USCIRF gathered hundreds of invited guests in Washington, DC, to address important concerns and observe IRFA’s anniversary. In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed IRFA into law. The law sought to ensure that the U.S. would incorporate concerns for religious freedom into its foreign policy.
In particular, IRFA established certain key positions to identify cases of religious persecution. These include a special advisor to the National Security Council and an ambassador-at-large for each Department of State. The law also created the bipartisan USCIRF.
At its core, IRFA requires the president to address any international violation of religious freedom by diplomacy or other action. The amended law, however, allows the president some leeway in cases where it might not benefit U.S. national security to take such action.
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