HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS Angelina Jolie is in discussions with the United Nations refugee agency she already works with as a goodwill ambassador for a new and expanded role.

Jolie has travelled to a number of war-torn countries with the UNHCR over the past ten years, and this year visited refugees in Afghanistan, Italy, Turkey and Malta.

The agency says Jolie has shown an “unflagging determination” to help publicise the plight of displaced people. It says that goodwill ambassadors serve as the “public face” of the refugee agency and their celebrity and influence help to support its work.

Watch: Angelina Jolie discusses her the experiences of working with the UNHCR:

Today Jolie said that both she and the UNHCR are hoping to discuss a bigger role for her “in the next few weeks, but we want to research it properly and do it well”.

Among the possible roles to be discussed is a position as special envoy on the Afghan refugee crisis. Around 2.7 million Afghan refugees are living in Iran and Pakistan.

The actress described her work as a goodwill ambassador as “moving, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding, and unforgettable.”

She also described the refuges she has met through that work as the most vulnerable, and most resilient, people in the world:

Refugees are survivors, they are mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, they are all extraordinary people who have a remarkable story that tells of strength in the face of great loss. They need our help more than ever.

Gallery: Who are the UN’s Goodwill Ambassadors – and how were they picked? >