Actress Turned Humanitarian Angelina Jolie Named UNHCR Special Envoy
Marisa Krystian | Apr 17, 2012 7:07pm EDT | 1min:09sec
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) announced Tuesday (April 17) in Geneva that actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie will take on a new and expanded role as a Special Envoy of its High Commissioner, Antonio Guterres.
Jolie's interest in humanitarian affairs started in 2000 while she was filming "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in Cambodia. She soon began traveling to field operations with UNHCR and was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2001.
Since then, according to UNHCR, she has carried out more than 40 field missions to some of the most remote regions of the world to highlight the plight of millions of uprooted people and to advocate for their protection, becoming an expert on the phenomenon of forced displacement and a tireless advocate on behalf of refugees
According to a UNHCR spokesperson Jolie's status as Special Envoy is effective immediately, and she will focus on complex emergencies and work to facilitate lasting solutions for people displaced by conflict.
