Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is backing a campaign to put an end to "statelessness" in the next 10 years.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is supporting the organisation's I Belong drive, which aims to give displaced citizens basic rights in their adopted countries.

The Salt star has signed an open letter which addresses the problem. The missive letter reads, "Statelessness can mean a life without education, without medical care or legal employment... a life without the ability to move freely, without prospects or hope. Statelessness is inhuman. We believe it is time to end this injustice...

"Being stateless means you and your children having no legal identity, no passport, no vote, and few or no opportunities to get an education. Ending statelessness would right these terrible wrongs. But it would also strengthen society in countries where stateless people are found, by making it possible to draw on their energy and talents. It is both an obligation and an opportunity for governments everywhere to put an end to this exclusion."