Angelina Jolie visits Colombian refugees as UN special envoy

London, Apr 23 (ANI): Angelina Jolie made her maiden visit to displaced Colombians forced to seek refuge across the border in Ecuador, as a special envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

This was the first such working visit for the 36-year-old since Guterres named her special envoy this month, the Telegraph reported.

She has however been a UN goodwill ambassador since 2001, and as such made 40 visits around the world in the past decade.

The new post will see the Oscar -winning actress perform a more diplomatic role.

"She is expected to focus on large-scale crises resulting in the mass displacement of people, to undertake advocacy and represent UNHCR and Guterres at the diplomatic level, engaging with relevant interlocutors on global displacement issues," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards had said last week.

Ecuador is the Latin American nation, which has the largest number of refugees - including some 56,000 from neighbouring Colombia.

Jolie visited with refugees in Sucumbios province on Saturday, the UN said. (ANI)