On September 29th Oxfam published a new report which suggests the major shift in global power provides an opportunity to protect all civilians from genocide and other atrocities.

For a Safer Tomorrow - Protecting Civilians in a Multipolar World warns that the world will be less safe for all unless emerging and existing global powers work together better to prevent atrocities and ensure the safety of people caught up in armed conflict.

A new US President, the re-emergence of Russia, the rise of China and India, and a stronger European Union and African Union creates a different world order which must do a better job protecting people whose lives are threatened by conflict. During the recent crisis in Georgia, there was much debate about the impact on world politics but less about the civilians caught in the fighting and forced to flee their homes.

"Ensuring the safety of civilians has got to be the overriding priority in any conflict, including the 'war on terror'. For far too long, governments have agreed that civilians must be protected but when it comes to the crunch - and peoples' lives are at risk - too often narrow, self-interest takes priority. As we have seen from Afghanistan to Iraq, civilian casualties can ferment existing anger and feelings of injustice, and contribute to a continuous cycle of violence and revenge," said the report author Ed Cairns of Oxfam.

For a Safer Tomorrow is based on Oxfam's experience responding to the world's conflicts for more than 60 years. It reviews the protection of civilians in current and recent conflicts, and examines the implications of the shift in global power. It sets out an agenda to protect civilians through local, national and regional action with far more consistent international support.