Rafael A. Benitez was born on 23 January 1969 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He holds a Master’s degree in European Law (LL.M.) from the College of Europe (Bruges) and degrees in Law and Finance from the I.C.A.D.E. - University of Comillas (Madrid). He also studied Political Science at the U.N.E.D (Madrid). He has studied in Spain, Belgium and the United States.

Rafael A. Benitez is currently Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment in the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe.

He has worked in the Council of Europe since 1994 where he has previously occupied other functions including: Director of the Congress of Local and Regional authorities, Director Programme and Finance, Chief of Protocol, Head of the Programme Department, Head of the Public Law Department, Head of the Anti-Terrorism Division and Head of the International Law Division.

He has worked extensively in the legal field including administrative law and justice, international criminal justice and criminal law, in particular corruption and terrorism, and public international law.

He has written in these fields and spoken at many international conferences on these topics.

He has been a visiting lecturer at the Institute of International Relations (ITI-RI) and the International Human Rights Institute (IIDH) in Strasbourg and a member of the admissions board to the French Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

Prior to joining the Council of Europe he worked in the private sector, both in a law firm and a business association.

He speaks Spanish, English, French and Italian.