U.N. Group Honors Jolie

Actress Cited For Work On Behalf Of Refugees

(CBS/AP)  Actress Angelina Jolie received a global humanitarian award in New York Tuesday night for serving as goodwill ambassador to the U.N. Refugee Agency.

In accepting the honor from the United Nations Association of the U.S.A. in front of 700 diplomats and guests, Jolie said it was strange getting an award for something she loves to do, CBS News correspondent Susan McGinnis reports on The Early Show.

"Second to my children, spending time with refugees and other persons of need around the world has been the greatest gift," Jolie said in her acceptance speech. "It's been the greatest life lesson I could ever receive."

Jolie has toured the world spotlighting the U.N. Refugee agency work.

She said she hoped she would live up to the promise she made to herself when she became a goodwill ambassador four years ago, for the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees - to do everything possible to help refugees all over the world because "they deserve every bit of our effort."

Jolie quoted from the preamble to the U.N. Charter, which reaffirms "faith in human rights" and said, "The U.N. is the closest thing to fighting for justice."

"I feel very, very privileged to be a very small part of it," she said.

Jolie has a 4-year-old son, Maddox, who was adopted from Cambodia, and an infant daughter, Zahara, adopted this summer from Ethiopia.