{{Short description|Canadian human rights activist}} thumb|Alex Neve at the Amnesty International National Office - Ottawa thumb|Alex Neve with Erika Guevara Rosas, Director for the Americas at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International and Tara Scurr, the Business and Human Rights Campaigner for Amnesty Canada '''Robert Alexander Neve''', OC (born May 24, 1962<ref name="WhoWho">{{cite book|title=Canadian Who's Who|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2004|page=965}}</ref>) 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.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Human rights leader Alex Neve announces departure from Amnesty International Canada |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/human-rights-leader-alex-neve-announces-departure-from-amnesty-international-canada/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227181056/https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/human-rights-leader-alex-neve-announces-departure-from-amnesty-international-canada/ |archive-date=2021-02-27 |access-date=2025-12-10 |work=ottawacitizen |language=en-CA |url-status=live }}</ref>
== 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.<ref name="WhoWho" />
He is married to Patricia Goyeche<ref name="WhoWho" /> and they have three children.
== Career == Neve practiced law in Ottawa with a focus in the areas of refugee and immigration law.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
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.<ref name="hrdc">{{cite web |url=http://www.yorku.ca/crs/AHRDP/Conference/profile.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070706130558/http://www.yorku.ca/crs/AHRDP/Conference/profile.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-07-06 |title=Profiles of Conference Facilitators |access-date=2007-12-29 |work=Human Rights Defenders Conference |publisher=African Human Rights Defenders Project-Canada}}</ref><ref name="Speakers Profile">{{cite web|url=http://osgoode.yorku.ca/media2.nsf/events/87C2741190074D1A852570B60077C914 |title=Speakers Profile |access-date=March 13, 2011 |date=2005-11-16 |work=Putting Theory To Practice Public Lecture, Osgoode Law School |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706213518/http://osgoode.yorku.ca/media2.nsf/events/87C2741190074D1A852570B60077C914 |archive-date=July 6, 2011 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Speakers Profile" /> He became secretary general of Amnesty International in January 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Neve |url=https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/repertoire/alex-neve/ |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Fondation Pierre Elliott Trudeau |language=en-US}}</ref>
Prior to becoming secretary general, Neve served as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.<ref name="hrdc" />
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.<ref name="Speakers Profile" /> Neve has also been involved with the issue of Alberta's Lubicon Cree.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Neve |url=https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-law/common-law/faculty/alex-neve |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Faculty of Law |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Neve Receives 2022 Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service |url=https://www.dal.ca/faculty/law/news-events/news/2022/09/12/alex_neve_receives_2022_weldon_award_for_unselfish_public_service.html |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Dalhousie University |language=en}}</ref> He regularly posts on a range of human rights topics on his blog, [https://www.alexneve.ca/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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aix1.uottawa.ca/~cforcese/hrat/participants.pdf |title=Confirmed Participants |access-date=2007-12-29 |date=2006-06-12 |work=The Human Rights of Anti-Terrorism: A colloquium |publisher=}}</ref>
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, [https://houseofanansi.com/products/universal?_pos=1&_sid=1398a5f74&_ss=r ''Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World''].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ore |first=Jonathan |date=2025-06-09 |title=This isn't human rights' finest hour, Massey Lecturer Alex Neve says — but it could be |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/masseys-2025-announce-alex-neve-1.7553810 |access-date=2025-12-09 |website=CBC}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Rights Council President appoints Members of the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/human-rights-council-president-appoints-members-fact-finding-mission |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=OHCHR |language=en}}</ref>
==Awards== On December 28, 2007, Neve was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, in honour of his human rights work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5252 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080101192548/http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5252 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-01-01 |title=Governor General Announces New Appointments to the Order of Canada |access-date=2007-12-29 |date=2007-12-28 |publisher=Governor General of Canada }}</ref>
In May 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by the University of New Brunswick.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Neve |url=https://www.cigionline.org/people/alex-neve/ |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Centre for International Governance Innovation |language=en}}</ref>
In June 2016, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by the University of Waterloo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/news/news/distinguished-alumni-among-recipients-honorary-doctorates|title=Distinguished alumni among recipients of honorary doctorates at Waterloo's convocation|date=2016-06-08|website=Waterloo News|language=en|access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref>
In May 2017, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from St. Thomas University.<ref>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</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101206041920/http://www.amnesty.ca/lubicon/film.php Amnesty film on Lubicon Cree of Alberta]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Neve, Alex}} Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Essex Category:Canadian human rights activists Category:Dalhousie University alumni Category:Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Category:Lawyers in Ontario Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Activists from Calgary Category:Academic staff of York University
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