Angelina Jolie steps down as UN refugee envoy

Oscar-winning American actress Angelina Jolie has announced that, after more than 20 years, she is leaving her position as an ambassador for the UNHCR.

The 47-year-old actress stated, “I believe in many of the things the UN does, especially the lives it saves through humanitarian help.”

She continued, “I will now work with organisations led by people who have been directly impacted by conflict and who have the loudest voices on their behalf.”

She was identified by the UNHCR as one of the most significant campaigners for refugee rights.

After working with the UN organisation for refugees for more than 20 years, the Hollywood star announced her resignation in a statement on her Instagram account.

“The individuals I most admire in the world are refugees, and I am committed to working with them for the rest of my life.”

Jolie made no mention of the organisations she intended to collaborate with.

Angelina Jolie will “work on a larger spectrum of humanitarian and human rights problems,” according to a statement from the UNHCR.

The refugee organisation stated in a statement that “Jolie has worked hard, completing more than 60 field missions to bear witness to stories of pain as well as of hope and perseverance.”

Jolie has worked with the UNHCR since 2001, and in 2012 she was appointed the organization’s special envoy. She has starred in a number of blockbusters, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

She recently encountered refugees in Burkina Faso, Yemen, and war-torn Ukraine.