Angelina Jolie steps down as UN
refugee |
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 via humanitarian
help.
She said, "I will now work with organizations
run by individuals 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 organization for refugees
for more than 20 years, the Hollywood star announced her resignation in a
statement on her Instagram account.
"The people 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 organizations 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 organization 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 appeared in a
number of blockbusters, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Lara Croft: Tomb
Raider.
She recently encountered refugees in Burkina Faso,
Yemen, and the war-torn Ukraine.