#BlueStarBrief April 2022: Reflections from Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, Election Recaps, Due Diligence Legislation, and more...

Ukraine has been heroically resisting Russia's onslaught for 6 weeks. Russia has refocused its brutality on Ukraine's eastern and southern regions. All reports, including from Russia, are that attacks will intensify. Given what the world has already seen, it is difficult to imagine more brutal attacks. As Ukrainians continue to bravely fight for their country and their freedom to live, we hope that others who cannot fight can find safety away from Russia's indiscriminate violence against civilians. We will do all we can to help the people of Ukraine, and we hope that you will do the same. If you're looking for ways to support or stay updated, take a look at our March edition.

Here's what we have for you in this month's #BlueStarBrief:

In Memoriam: Secretary Madeleine K. Albright

Election Recaps and Analyses for France, Colombia, Hungary, and Serbia

US and EU Perspectives on the Push for Corporate Due Diligence Legislation

Sally Painter Speaks with the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council

Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State to President Bill Clinton, passed away on March 23rd. The first woman to be Secretary of State, she was recognized around the world as a champion of democracy, and as one of the strongest foreign policy minds of the 20th and 21st centuries. She remained a strong advocate for freedom until her death, writing an editorial decrying Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of this year. An influence and example to many at Blue Star Strategies, she will be dearly missed.

A few months before her death, Secretary Albright wrote some reflections on the importance of making the most out of life. Read these reflections, in her own words, here.

March and early April saw important elections in France, Colombia, Hungary, and Serbia. Read below for a brief summary, or click the country names to read our team's full analysis.

The first round of France's Presidential polling wrapped up over the weekend, setting up a run-off election between sitting President Emmanuel Macron and far right candidate Marine Le Pen. In Colombia, recent legislative elections show growing political polarization and set the stage for the upcoming Presidential elections. In Serbia, President Aleksandr Vučić held his seat while his party suffered losses in Parliament, while in Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party saw sweeping victory.

By Mathilde Defarges

At the end of February 2022, the European Commission released its much awaited proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. This is but the latest step in the EU’s push to set a global trend of more sustainable corporate governance. The text will be the subject of intense debate between EU member states, the European Parliament, and the European Commission in coming months . However, despite some actors’ reluctance to embrace the EU’s push, the European institutions’ perseverance in moving the ball forward on corporate sustainability and the corporate world’s slow but steady acquiescence to the concept mean that the EU’s text is likely part of a broader global trend that is here to stay.

Read more about the EU proposal here.

By Ben Hoffschneider

Throughout the 21st century, the US has been a leader in identifying and, at times, sanctioning human rights abuses globally. In doing so, the U.S. has used various approaches including but not limited to the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and OFAC’s Global Magnitsky Sanctions list. The Federal Government has not, however, required private sector companies to conduct due diligence and/or report on human rights violations within their corporate structures or their massive supply chains. California became the first state in the U.S. to address federal government's unwillingness to require companies to identify human rights violations when, In 2011, the California state legislature passed, and the Governor signed, The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (The "California Act").

Read more about the California Act, as well as efforts for federal due diligence legislation in the U.S. and Canada, here.