Some religious groups and religious liberty groups have applauded the commission including the Center for Family and Human Rights, a Catholic think tank.

An increasingly vocal band of advocates and experts says the Trump administration’s policies have failed to address many of the challenges faced by Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities abroad

July 16 was the first day of the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State.

Father James Martin was among the religious leaders testifying to members of the Helsinki Commission, which monitors human rights worldwide, about a surge in reported hate crimes.

On a scale where 0 is best and 10 is worst, the U.S. score on individual and social group hostilities soared from 3.3 in 2007 to 8.4 in 2017 -- the most recent year studied -- which qualified as the highest in the region.

"The evidence shows sadly that the situation is becoming worse," said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.