This month, President Trump signed an executive order to prioritized religious freedom in the U.S. foreign policy and assistance programs. The new order allocates at least $50 million per year for programs that promote international religious freedom.

“Religious freedom for all people worldwide is a foreign policy priority of the United States, and the United States will respect and vigorously promote this freedom,” the order stated.

“Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), develop a plan to prioritize international religious freedom in the planning and implementation of United States foreign policy and in the foreign assistance programs of the Department of State and USAID.”

It’s reported that 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is either threatened or banned.

Trump signed the order at the White House after a visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, DC.

A senior administration official told The New York Post, “the document intends to enforce the Trump administration’s advocacy for religious minorities abroad”.

“The president was clear when he called upon ‘the nations of the world to end religious persecution,’” the official said. “This executive order fully integrates the president’s vision — a vigorous defense of International Religious Freedom rights for all — into key aspects of United States foreign policy.”