Alex Neve

Robert Alexander Neve, OC (born May 24, 1962[1]) is a Canadian human rights activist and international human rights lawyer. He served as the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada from January 2000 until October 2020.[2]

Personal life

Neve was born in Calgary, Alberta, to Robert Rex Neve and Jean Elizabeth Taylor. Neve received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1984 and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1987, both from Dalhousie University. He later studied international human rights law at the University of Essex, and received a Master of Laws degree in 1991.[1]

He is married to Patricia Goyeche[1] and they have three children.

Career

Neve practiced law in Ottawa with a focus in the areas of refugee and immigration law.

He has been a member of Amnesty International since the mid-1980s and has worked for the organization nationally and internationally in a number of different roles, including missions to Tanzania, Guinea, Mexico, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, South Sudan, Bangladesh, and Ghana.[3][4] He has authored and contributed to reports and studies for Amnesty International, as well as legal submissions to parliamentary committees and United Nations human rights bodies, including the Maher Arar Commission.[4] He became secretary general of Amnesty International in January 2000.[5]

Prior to becoming secretary general, Neve served as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.[3]

In Toronto, he has also been affiliated with the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University and has taught international human rights and refugee law at Osgoode Hall Law School.[4] Neve has also been involved with the issue of Alberta's Lubicon Cree.

Neve is currently a visiting and adjunct professor of international human rights law at the University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University, and a Senior Fellow with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.[6][7] He regularly posts on a range of human rights topics on his blog, Moving Rights Along. Neve frequently lectures, participates in conferences, and speaks and writes in the national media on a range of human rights topics.[8]

Neve was the 2025 lecturer for the Massey Lectures, a lecture series cohosted by CBC Radio, House of Anansi Press, and Massey College at the University of Toronto, and author of the accompanying book, Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World.[9]

In December 2025, Neve was appointed as one of three expert members of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela.[10]

Awards

On December 28, 2007, Neve was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, in honour of his human rights work.[11]

In May 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by the University of New Brunswick.[12]

In June 2016, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by the University of Waterloo.[13]

In May 2017, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from St. Thomas University.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Canadian Who's Who. University of Toronto Press. 2004. p. 965.
  2. ^ "Human rights leader Alex Neve announces departure from Amnesty International Canada". ottawacitizen. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  3. ^ a b "Profiles of Conference Facilitators". Human Rights Defenders Conference. African Human Rights Defenders Project-Canada. Retrieved 2007-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ^ a b c "Speakers Profile". Putting Theory To Practice Public Lecture, Osgoode Law School. 2005-11-16. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  5. ^ "Alex Neve". Fondation Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  6. ^ "Alex Neve". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  7. ^ "Alex Neve Receives 2022 Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service". Dalhousie University. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  8. ^ "Confirmed Participants" (PDF). The Human Rights of Anti-Terrorism: A colloquium. 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  9. ^ Ore, Jonathan (2025-06-09). "This isn't human rights' finest hour, Massey Lecturer Alex Neve says — but it could be". CBC. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  10. ^ "Human Rights Council President appoints Members of the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela". OHCHR. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  11. ^ "Governor General Announces New Appointments to the Order of Canada". Governor General of Canada. 2007-12-28. Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  12. ^ "Alex Neve". Centre for International Governance Innovation. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  13. ^ "Distinguished alumni among recipients of honorary doctorates at Waterloo's convocation". Waterloo News. 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  14. ^ Media Release: St. Thomas University to Honour Alex Neve and Sandra Irving at Spring Convocation May 9,https://www.stu.ca/media/stu/site-content/documents/media-releases/media-releases-2016/2016/MediaRelease-STUtoHonourNeveandIrvingatSpringConvocation20160413.pdf


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