Prominent Supporters

Former Special Envoy

It was while filming “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” in war-torn Cambodia that Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie first witnessed the dire conditions faced by refugees.

Working with UNHCR, she began visiting refugees in Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

Responding to an emergency appeal from UNHCR, she donated $1 million to the organization, the largest donation UNHCR had ever received from a private individual.

Jolie was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in August 2001.

Jolie has been working tirelessly since, meeting with refugees and internally displaced persons in over 30 countries.

In 2003, Jolie released Notes from My Travels, describing her extensive travels to war zones in Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2012, Jolie was named Special Envoy to the UNC High Commissioner, and now represents

UNHCR at the diplomatic level for matters relating to major refugee crises.

She’s is also active in conservation and community development, and is a vocal advocate for causes such as the rights of child immigrants and vulnerable children worldwide, children education, human rights, sexual violence and women rights.

Having received numerous awards in recognition of her humanitarian work, with years of dedicated service to UNHCR and the cause of refugees, Angelina Jolie in April 2012 was appointed as Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Angelina Jolie dedicated over 20 years of service to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. She served as a Goodwill Ambassador from 2001 – 2012 and then as Special Envoy from 2012 – 2022.

In her critical role as Special Envoy, Ms. Jolie used her powerful voice to build awareness and support for refugees. Throughout her time with UNHCR, Ms. Jolie carried out more than 60 field missions bearing witness to suffering and resilience and calling for urgent solutions to protect the rights and safety of displaced people.

In December 2022, Ms. Jolie stepped down from her role as Special Envoy to engage on a broader set of humanitarian and human rights issues. As one of the most influential proponents of refugee rights, her portfolio will continue to include refugees and issues of forced displacement.

UNHCR Patron

On 24 June 2021, Dr. Lam Kin Chung was appointed a UNHCR Patron, committing to promoting peace, education and culture for refugees and marginalized populations and connecting his global community to support UNHCR’s work.

Dr. Lam Kin Chung has supported these causes personally and professionally for decades. He founded the ‘Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun Charity Fund’ in 1992 to support peace projects through education and culture exchange programmes that span the globe. With “Peace, Education, Culture” as his mission statement, he also supports local NGOs to provide free classes for marginalized populations in Hong Kong.

Dr. Lam has been supporting UNHCR since 2017. A real estate developer in Hong Kong, he has capitalized on his global reach to connect UNHCR with wider communities, such as educational institutions and corporations. Dr. Lam has sponsored Model UN programmes, book publications on United Nations and International Laws and was a Council Member of the United Nations Association of China from 2004 – 2017.

His advocacy for world peace through education was championed by a generous donation in 2020 when he supported access to education for Afghan refugee girls in Pakistan. His support reached over 1,300 children and will have a transformative effect for generations to come. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Lam reaffirmed his commitment to bringing about change through his humanitarian work, supporting the Syrian and Afghanistan emergency through matching donations. In 2022, Dr. Lam donated for Ukraine emergency immediately after outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

A devoted Buddhist, he dedicates his time and efforts to help those in need as part of his practice, inspired by his mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, who was awarded a UNHCR Humanitarian Award in 1989.

Dr. Lam currently holds the prestigious titles of John Harvard Fellow from Harvard University in the US, an Honorary Doctorate from Hanoi University in Vietnam, Knight Commander of Rizal under the Republic Act no.646 of the Philippines and Chairman of Hostford Development Ltd in Hong Kong.

His dedication to making a positive impact in the world is summarized best by Dr. Lam himself: “Helping people forced to flee is an important cornerstone for world peace. By giving them hope, lifting them up from suffering, we walk with them to build a bright future.”

Other Goodwill Ambassadors and Prominent Supporters