“Support refugees” is what the message behind the blue ribbons worn by many celebrities at the Oscars, the premier awards event in the world of cinema.
Many Hollywood stars including Cate Blanchett wore the blue ribbons at the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award ceremony that took place at Ovation Hollywood, the renamed Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, California on 12 March 2023.
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According to a statement from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees cited by news outlets, donning the #WithRefugees ribbons Sunday “sends a powerful visual message that everyone has the right to seek safety, whoever, wherever, whenever.”
Like other U.N. agencies, UNHCR has a long history of celebrity engagement — most famously, Angelina Jolie was the refugee agency’s lone special envoy until parting ways last year.
Best actress nominee Cate Blanchett is a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR. But on Friday, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric put in a plug for a goodwill ambassador from a different agency — the U.N. Development Program. When asked whether he had a favorite for best picture, he demurred.
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“No, but I do hope that the UNDP’s own goodwill ambassador Michelle Yeoh wins best actress, and we wish her all the best,” he said of the eventual winner.
