After more than two decades of working with the United Nations refugee agency, Angelina Jolie and the organization have decided to part ways. In a joint statement released on Friday, Jolie expressed her commitment to continue supporting refugees and other migrants in the years to come, while also acknowledging that it was time for her to “do things differently.” Jolie first began her work with the UNHCR in 2001 and was later appointed as a special envoy in 2012. In response to the news, the UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi expressed his appreciation for Jolie’s past contributions and wished her well in her future humanitarian endeavors.
Last month, Angelina Jolie expressed her disappointment with the lack of progress in ending sexual violence in conflict in an opinion piece published in The Guardian. She conveyed her frustration with encountering the same issues over and over again when it came to fulfilling promises made regarding this issue. Jolie particularly criticized the UN security council members for “abusing their veto.” Although she had previously referred to the United Nations as imperfect in a 2017 speech in Geneva, she also defended the organization and said it needed support. Furthermore, she urged the United Nations to establish a permanent investigative agency that would collect and evaluate evidence in cases related to allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity and other human rights violations. Jolie has always advocated for promoting equality for women, fighting injustice, and helping refugees as the most important aspects of her life. She believes that these goals are interconnected.
In recent years, Angelina Jolie has been actively advocating for various causes, including the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act in the US. Her involvement in humanitarian work began in 2001 when she started visiting refugee camps. This led to her appointment as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, with the hope that she could raise awareness about the plight of refugees among young people. During her visit to Burkina Faso last year, Jolie expressed concern that the growing displacement of people around the world would lead to more instability, and called on governments to address the root causes of conflicts. According to Jolie, there has been a lack of diplomacy from governments in recent years, and those who do the least are often the ones doing the most to help refugees. While the UNHCR declined to provide further details about Jolie’s current role as special envoy, they confirmed that they have no plans to appoint anyone else to the position.
