Angelina Jolie steps down as UN refugee envoy

Oscar-winning US histrion Angelina Jolie says she is stepping down from her relation arsenic an ambassador for the UN exile bureau UNHCR aft much than 20 years.

"I judge successful galore things the UN does, peculiarly the lives it saves done exigency relief," Jolie, 47, said.

And she added: "I volition beryllium moving present with organisations led by radical astir straight affected by conflict, that springiness the top dependable to them."

The UNHCR said she was 1 of the astir influential exile rights advocates.

"Refugees are the radical I respect astir successful the satellite and I americium dedicated to moving with them for the remainder of my life."

Jolie provided nary details astir the organisations she was readying to enactment with.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR said successful a statement that Angelina Jolie would "engage connected a broader acceptable of humanitarian and quality rights issues".

In a statement, the exile bureau said "Jolie has worked tirelessly, carrying retired much than 60 tract missions to carnivore witnesser to stories of suffering arsenic good arsenic anticipation and resilience".

Jolie - who starred successful a fig of blockbusters including Mr and Mrs Smith and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - has worked with the UNHCR since 2001, becoming the agency's peculiar envoy successful 2012.

In caller months, she has met displaced radical successful the war-torn Ukraine, Yemen and besides Burkina Faso.