After being promoted from a goodwill ambassador to a special UN refugee envoy, Angelina Jolie has decided to support a new UK team that will investigate sex crimes in war zones worldwide.

In an initiative to tackle sexual violence in war zones across the world, British government is to launch a global anti-rape scheme, in which a team of UK experts will be trained to deploy at short notice to gather evidence in conflict-hit areas.

The specialist “flying squads” will also provide counselling for the victims of sexual offence, and will help to draft effective legislation. The team of experts, including the police, lawyers, psychologists, doctors and forensic experts, will be created by the end of this year.

The actress will give her support to the launch before a screening of her new film, In the Land Of Blood and Honey - a love story set against the backdrop of the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

William Hague, the foreign secretary, believes that the governments are not doing enough to stop sexual abuse, which is being used as a weapon of war or to prosecute offenders afterwards.

“We have to ensure equal rights for women at every level of society and to protect the vulnerable, most of all our children. But it is in the context of war and conflict that sexual violence is found to the most appalling degree and on a scale most of us cannot imagine”, said Hague, who will join Jolie at the screening.

Initially, the team will be funded out of a £20 million urgent action fund, which is part of UK contingency spending set aside for helping mitigate the impact of global conflicts. Britain also intends to use its presidency of the G8 in 2013 in order to convince other countries to put more resources into the fight against sexual abuse across the world.

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