Hillel Neuer

Hillel C. Neuer is executive director of UN Watch, a human rights NGO in Geneva, Switzerland. [http://hrwg.mcgill.ca/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=125&extmode=view&extid=33]

Originally from Montreal, Neuer has written on law, politics and international affairs for publications such as the "International Herald Tribune", "Juriste International", "Commentary", "The New Republic Online" and the "Christian Science Monitor". [http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-neuer] He appears regularly before the UN Human Rights Council, intervening for a range of causes including the rape victims of Darfur, political prisoners in Cuba, and Middle East peace. He recently testified as an expert witness before a hearing of the U.S. Congress on UN reform, and is regularly quoted by major media organizations including the "New York Times", Al Jazeera [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/rizkhan/2008/09/200892454624525805.html] , ] , "Die Welt", "Le Figaro", Reuters, "Al Ahram" [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/844/eg3.htm] . In the past year Neuer has debated UN human rights issues on CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. [http://hrwg.mcgill.ca/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=125&extmode=view&extid=33]

Prior to joining UN Watch, Neuer practiced commercial and civil rights litigation at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. [http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-neuer] Active as a human rights defender, Neuer was cited by the Federal Court of New York for the high quality of his pro bono advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. [http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-neuer] Neuer served as a law clerk to the Supreme Court of Israel and a Graduate Fellow at the Shalem Center think tank. He holds a BA in intellectual history and political science from Concordia University, a BCL and LLB from the McGill University Faculty of Law, and an LLM in comparative constitutional law from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. [http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-neuer] Neuer is a member of the New York bar and co-author of the Annotated Copyright Act of Canada and Directors and Officers—A Canadian Legal Manual. [http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-neuer] [http://www.savedarfurcanada.org/speaker_bios2.html]

Education

Neuer holds four degrees. He graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts in intellectual history and political science. He also has a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws from the McGill University Faculty of Law, as well as a Master of Laws in comparative constitutional law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Advocacy for Darfur Victims at United Nations

Neuer is among the leading advocates at the United Nations for human rights victims in Darfur. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=2607541&ct=4318441] [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=2607541&ct=3963169] Neuer chaired the NGO Activist Summit For Darfur in 2007. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1286087/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={53BA537F-51B9-4A28-A0E8-EFD638A9B470}&notoc=1] He challenged Sudan in 2007 for its rejection of human rights experts in Darfur. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=3677507] He demanded justice for child victims in Darfur in 2005. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=1748005]

In August 2007, Neuer was the keynote speaker at the Save Darfur Canada rally in Montreal. [http://www.savedarfurcanada.org/speaker_bios2.html] Neuer spoke together with Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, former commander of UN peacekeepers in the Balkans; Prof. Payam Akhavan, international law professor at McGill, and former senior advisor to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Simon Deng, a black Christian from the south of Sudan who was sold into slavery into the Muslim north; Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam; and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Infidel.

United Nations Human Rights Testimony

Neuer has represented human rights victims in regular testimony before the UN Human Rights Council. His outspoken advocacy for student Jenya Taranenko preceded her release from a Russian prison. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=3152837] Neuer debated Zimbabwe's UN ambassador on CNN over the Mugabe regime's dismal human rights record. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1319279&ct=1771841] In 2007 he spoke out for the Arab, Kurdish, and Bahá'í victims of violations in Iran. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=4471149] In 2004 he intervened on behalf of victims of torture and censorship in Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=1748035] Neuer also spoke out for the Lebanese victims of Syrian political assassinations. [http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=1715217]

Human Rights Advovacy and Legal Career

Neuer practiced commercial and civil rights litigation at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Active as a human rights defender, Neuer was cited by the Federal Court of New York for the high quality of his pro bono advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. As an associate in the case of Reynolds v. Goord (United States District Court, Southern District of New York), Neuer helped defend the rights of a prisoner and contributed to the successful challenge of the coercive New York State prison tuberculosis control program. Neuer also worked on a major action for thousands of African-American members of the U.S. Air Force who claimed a pattern and practice of discrimination on the basis of race.

Neuer was an associate in the Paul, Weiss legal team that successfully represented Raytheon Company in various claims against Hughes Electronics Corporation surrounding Raytheon's acquisition of Hughes’ defense business in 1997. Under terms of a 2001 settlement agreement, Hughes Electronics reimbursed Raytheon $635.5 million of its $9.5 billion purchase price. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=1097]

Neuer's legal work as an associate also contributed to achieving victory for the California Public Utilities Commission in its efforts to uphold the validity of its settlement of various regulatory disputes with Pacific Gas and Electric Company arising from that company's bankruptcy. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=765] On December 22, 2003, Judge Montali of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California entered an order confirming a plan of reorganization for PG&E that was based on PG&E's settlement with the Commission. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=765] The Commission had approved the underlying settlement agreement with PG&E by a vote of three Commissioners in favor and two Commissioners opposed. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=765] The two dissenting Commissioners then purported to appeal to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from the confirmation order entered by the bankruptcy court. The dissenting Commissioners argued, among other things, that the confirmation order unlawfully restricted the future exercise of their duties as Commissioners and infringed their alleged rights under the First Amendment to oppose the settlement. On July 15, 2004, Judge Walker of the United States District Court heard oral argument on motions by the Commission and PG&E to dismiss the appeal on the ground that the dissenting Commissioners lacked appellate standing. Later that same day, Judge Walker issued a 23-page opinion granting the motions. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=765] Neuer was credited for his work on the Paul, Weiss legal team that achieved the victory. [http://www.paulweiss.com/resources/news/detail.aspx?news=765]

Victimized During November US Visit

On November 1, 2007, Neuer was invited to Yale University to present the first-ever report on the United Nations and Anti-Semitism since Secretary-General Kofi Annan's June 2004 call to action. [http://www.yale.edu/yiisa/seminars.htm] The next day, on his way to lecture in Boston, Neuer passed through Needham, Massachusetts and was almost killed in a case of mistaken identity after he entered a local restaurant. [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/11/08/too_suspicious_in_suburbia/] An employee, gripped by hysteria after learning of a murder in the town, called the police and falsely reported that he was carrying a gun, leading to a charge of disorderly conduct that was quickly quashed by a clerk and a judge. [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/11/08/too_suspicious_in_suburbia/] On the next business day, the Norfolk County court fully cleared Neuer and, in a rare move, ruled that the police acted without probable cause and refused to issue a complaint. [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/11/08/too_suspicious_in_suburbia/] Initial media reports of a "stand-off" were found to be false and police confirmed that Neuer himself had called 911 twice seeking to exit from the police action that he believed was in pursuit of criminals near the restaurant. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/11/06/fearful_911_calls_in_needham_released/] [http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1042864] "Mr. Neuer was an innocent victim who went to a restaurant in Needham and was traumatized and almost killed," said attorney David G. Eisenstadt. "There was no justification to charge Mr. Neuer with anything." [http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1042854] The Boston Herald, under a photo of Neuer with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, reported that "Human rights activist Hillel C. Neuer is more used to chatting with former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, than being arrested at gunpoint." [http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1042864] [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=
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