Eighteen countries meet in Geneva and agree to form the International Red Cross.

The International Red Cross was founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, following the efforts of Swiss humanitarian Henry Dunant, who was deeply affected by the suffering he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy in 1859. During the battle, thousands of wounded soldiers were left without adequate medical care, prompting Dunant to organise local volunteers to assist them regardless of nationality. In 1862, he published a book titled A Memory of Solferino, calling for the establishment of voluntary relief societies to care for wounded soldiers during wartime. His ideas inspired the creation of the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later renamed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In 1864, representatives of twelve states signed the first Geneva Convention, establishing international rules for the protection of wounded soldiers and medical personnel. The distinctive red cross on a white background, reversing the colours of the Swiss flag, was adopted as a protective emblem.

Throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Red Cross movement expanded rapidly as national societies were established around the world. During the First World War, the International Committee of the Red Cross played a crucial role in assisting prisoners of war, tracing missing soldiers and facilitating communication between families separated by the conflict. The organisation established the International Prisoners-of-War Agency in Geneva, which collected millions of records concerning captured and missing military personnel. In 1919, following the devastation of the war, the League of Red Cross Societies was established to coordinate humanitarian assistance during peacetime, particularly in response to natural disasters and disease outbreaks. During the Second World War, the Red Cross again provided extensive humanitarian assistance, delivering relief supplies, visiting prisoners of war and helping displaced civilians. However, the ICRC was subsequently criticised for its failure to publicly condemn the Holocaust and for the limitations of its efforts to protect victims of Nazi persecution.

Following the Second World War, the International Red Cross continued to develop into one of the world’s largest humanitarian movements. The adoption of the four Geneva Conventions in 1949 significantly strengthened international humanitarian law, extending protections to wounded soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians affected by armed conflict. Over subsequent decades, the movement responded to major humanitarian emergencies, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and numerous natural disasters. In 1986, the movement formally adopted the name International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, recognising the widespread use of the red crescent emblem in many countries. Today, the movement consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and 191 National Societies. Guided by seven fundamental principles, including humanity, impartiality and neutrality, it continues to provide emergency medical assistance, disaster relief, support for refugees and protection for people affected by armed conflict.