Film star Cate Blanchett urged the world to end the devastating plight of millions of people with no nationality on Monday, describing statelessness as a "heartbreaking" waste of human talent and potential.
The double Oscar-winner made the plea at a major intergovernmental meeting in Geneva aimed at accelerating a global campaign to eradicate statelessness — an issue she admitted she was unaware of until relatively recently.
"Statelessness has a devastating impact on millions of people around the world. They experience marginalization and exclusion from cradle to grave. ... It's total invisibility," she told the media afterward.