Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett has been appointed a United Nations goodwill ambassador.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) made the announcement as the Hollywood star returned from a mission to Jordan where she witnessed the ongoing humanitarian operation for people displaced by the conflict in Syria.

While there she met Syrian refugee families to hear first-hand about the perilous journeys they had undertaken and their daily plight.

Cate Blanchett (Jordan Strauss/AP)
(Jordan Strauss/AP)

Cate said: “I am deeply proud to take on this role. There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide.

“It feels like we’re at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance? As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path.

“There’s much more opportunity, there’s much more optimism and there is a solution down that path.”

Prior to her appointment, Cate worked closely with UNHCR for more than a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced.