Watch: Roberta Metsola Meets Hollywood Star And Activist Cate Blanchett At The European Parliament
European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola has just met with Hollywood star Cate Blanchett at the Parliament in Brussels.
Besides her A-List Celebrity status, Cate Blanchett is a fervent activist and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador and she attended the November 8th Plenary Session to urge MEPs to focus on humanity and to protect refugees.
“Great to welcome activist, silver screen legend, and the UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett to the European Parliament today,” Metsola wrote on social media, captioning a photo of the two powerful women walking side by side.
“Thank you for your dedication to the cause, your commitment to humanitarian issues, and for giving a voice to those not heard.
In her address to Parliament, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett called on the EU not to fortify borders and denounced the practice of externalising asylum processing.
In her introductory remarks, President Metsola recalled the European Parliament’s strong engagement in asylum and migration, saying she was hopeful that the EU’s new legislative framework would be agreed upon before the end of the current legislature.
Cate Blanchett underscored that there are 114 million forcibly displaced people in the world today. It is important that the EU and its member states continue to support humanitarian work, including the work of UNHCR- the UN Refugee Agency-, financially, she added, in order to help people across the globe in many ongoing conflicts.
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She called for international refugee law to be upheld, notably the 1951 Geneva Convention, as this was “not only still relevant but foundational to our common humanity”. Universal principles enshrined in the convention and put into practice have saved millions of lives, she said.
As almost 90% of displaced persons are hosted in low and middle-income countries, she urged the EU to focus its policy on protecting refugees and not on fortifying borders. She also recalled the unacceptable human cost of the harmful practice of externalising asylum processing.
The Australian actress is most known for her work in the cinematic masterpiece Lord of the Rings. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for her versatility across independent films, blockbusters, and theatre.
However, her work extends beyond the film industry. Blanchett is a dedicated activist and has received honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and Macquarie University.
Blanchett has publicly supported UNHCR since 2015. Her support ranges across advocacy, awareness raising and fundraising and focusses both on humanising the refugee issue and amplifying the voices of refugees so that their stories, experience, and needs can reach a wider audience.
Cate also retains a special interest in the scourge of statelessness which affects millions of people worldwide, denying them basic rights, including access to education, healthcare, and the ability to work and travel.
This action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament’s grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
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