COE
Council of Europe
Rafael Benitez
Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment
Rafael Benitez is the Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment of the Council of Europe. With over three decades of experience in international governance, he has dedicated his career to advancing human rights, the rule of law, and democratic principles across Europe.
Since joining the Council of Europe in 1994, Rafael has held several prominent roles, including: Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Director of Programme and Budget, Chief of Protocol, Head of the Public Law Department, Head of the Anti-Terrorism Division and Head of the International Law Division.
Throughout his tenure, Rafael has contributed extensively to legal fields such as human rights, administrative law, criminal law and justice, and international law.
He lectures in various academic institutions and served as members of the admission board of ENA.
Before joining the Council of Europe, Rafael gained valuable experience in the private sector, working in a law firm and a business association.
He holds a Master’s degree in European Law from the College of Europe, Brugge and degrees in Law and Finance from ICADE, Madrid. He also pursued studies in Political Science at UNED.
Rafael is fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Italian.
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