Angelina Jolie appointed special envoy of UNHCR chief

Angelina Jolie meets schoolgirls in a village in Afghanistan. She has been named Special Envoy of UNHCR chief, António Guterres.© UNHCR/J. Tanner

GENEVA, April 17 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency announced on Tuesday that actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie will take on a new and expanded role for UNHCR as Special Envoy of High Commissioner António Guterres.

During a decade of service as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie has conducted more than 40 field visits around the world, becoming an expert on the phenomenon of forced displacement and a tireless advocate on behalf of refugees.

"In her new role, she is expected to focus on large-scale crises resulting in the mass displacement of people, to undertake advocacy and represent UNHCR and Guterres at the diplomatic level, engaging with relevant interlocutors on global displacement issues," spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva.

He said Jolie would focus on complex emergencies and work to facilitate lasting solutions for people displaced by conflict. "High Commissioner Guterres is grateful to Ms. Jolie for accepting this role at a critical time in global displacement. Her new status as Special Envoy is effective immediately," he added.