Claire is an experienced political strategist and public policy specialist who has built a reputation as a policy and campaign leader and adviser. She has over 20 years of experience of campaigning on global poverty, social and economic justice issues, and sustainable development.
She previously directed the policy, advocacy and research programme at BOND, the UK’s membership body for non-governmental organisations working in international development. She has also held senior policy and advocacy roles at Oxfam International, including heading its global inequality, finance and public services policy and advocacy programme. At Oxfam GB, Claire worked across trade, climate, conflict and humanitarian, tax, and aid. She has also had extensive experience working on EU policy, particularly in the areas of trade, aid, agriculture, and security.
Claire has worked with civil society organisations in most regions of the world, including developing North/South influencing strategies and coalition and network-building around campaigns to influence governments and institutions. She has had significant engagement in policy dialogue with the UK government, the EU, the OECD, the UN, and governments around the world. She has also written policy reports for European civil society organisations and political groups on issues including trade agreements, fiscal justice, inequality, and climate, and gender. She led the development of Oxfam’s global tax justice campaign strategy and BOND’s response to Brexit. She has given evidence to UK parliamentary committees as an expert witness and has served as a media spokesperson on international poverty, inequality, climate, EU external relations and civil society.
Claire sits on the Board of CONCORD, the European NGO confederation for Relief and Development. She has served as the NGO representative on a Department for International Development research funding programme for European Community poverty reduction effectiveness.
She holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Social Sciences (international development) from Kingston University and an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
What gives me hope? That the climate and nature emergency, and COVID-19, will lead to a transformational reform agenda that puts us on a sustainable and equitable path for all. This is likely to require political, intellectual and inspirational leadership which can galvanise people from different geographies, demographics and creeds behind an idea of change for the common good, for now and for future generations.Claire Godfrey