Government representatives, advocates, and religious leaders of all faiths from around the globe descended on Washington, D.C., to attend this week’s State Department’s second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Last year, the event encouraged international leaders to reaffirm their commitment to promote the fundamental human right of religious liberty.

Ahead of this year’s Ministerial, the State Department released the 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom at the end of June, which documents the freedom of people in countries around the world to choose and practice their faith. Although the report notes areas of progress, 2018 overall . was not a great year for religious freedom around the world.