Emma Watson
Reuters

Harry Potter star Emma Watson has been made a UN Goodwill Ambassador.

The 24-year-old's duties will be to promote gender equality and tackle discrimination worldwide.

Confirming the news on Twitter, the actress declared her excitement over her new role, saying: "So excited to start work with the AMAZING people at UN Women!"

Meanwhile, the UN Women Twitter account stated that their website had crashed following the announcement.

UN Women is the snappier title of The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Watson said in the statement: "Being asked to serve as UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador is truly humbling. The chance to make a real difference is not an opportunity that everyone is given and is one I have no intention of taking lightly.

"Women's rights are something so inextricably linked with who I am, so deeply personal and rooted in my life that I can't imagine an opportunity more exciting," she continued. "I still have so much to learn, but as I progress I hope to bring more of my individual knowledge, experience and awareness to this role."

Last month Watson completed her degree in English literature at Brown University in the US.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women's under-secretary-general and executive director, said: "We are thrilled and honoured to work with Emma, whom we believe embodies the values of UN Women.

"The engagement of young people is critical for the advancement of gender equality in the 21st century, and I am convinced that Emma's intellect and passion will enable UN Women's messages to reach the hearts and minds of young people globally."