Jean-Benoit founded WaterLex with Julie Aubriot and Maria-Francisca Ize-Charrin both in Paris (France) and Geneva (Switzerland) in 2010. In order to acquire legal status both in France and Switzerland, a founding assembly was celebrated in Paris on 26 July, two days before the official recognition of the Human Right to Water by the UN General Assembly on 28 July 2010 (through Resolution 64/292) – followed by the celebration on 1 November in Geneva.
Prior to establishing WaterLex in 2010 and then being appointed as its executive director (CEO) from January 2011 till June 2016, Jean-Benoit worked for COHRE Right to Water Programme. He undertook legal research as well as the first Human Right Water impact assessment of the Dutch Government – Development Cooperation Programme in Benin. He was then mandated by other organisations to conduct such assessments. He worked for BothENDS in Indonesia, and for ACF in Haiti, Liberia and Bangladesh. Jean-Benoit is human rights lawyer by background. He graduated from the University of Essex with a Master in International Human Rights Law in 2009.