Angelina Jolie and the UN Refugee Agency have parted ways after more than two decades.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced in a joint statement that Angelina Jolie is stepping down as the agency’s special envoy “to engage in a broader range of humanitarian and human rights issues.”
“I will do everything I can to support refugees and other displaced people in the coming years,” Ms. Jolie said in the statement.
Jolie added that she felt it was time to “do things differently” by engaging directly with refugees and local organizations.
Jolie first started working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001 and was appointed as the organization’s special envoy in 2012. He was present in more than 60 field missions.
UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said: “After a long and successful time with UNHCR, I support and support his desire to change his partnership. I know that the issue of asylum will remain close to his heart and I am sure that he will direct the same interest and attention to a wider range of humanitarian aid.”
Jolie began visiting refugee camps in 2001 and was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the same year. At that time, the then High Commissioner said that he hoped that the actor could draw the attention of the youth to the plight of the refugees.
