The red cross and the red crescent: emblems of humanity

The red cross and the red crescent emblems serve a specific purpose: to ensure the protection of those wounded in war and those who care for them. They are used first and foremost for the protective identification of the armed forces’ medical services, but also to identify people and equipment belonging to a component of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement i.e. the ICRC, the National Societies and their Federation. They stand for the Movement’s Fundamental Principles, particularly those of neutrality and impartiality.

In wartime, the red cross or red crescent emblem is the visible sign of protection conferred by the Geneva Conventions on people and objects authorised to display it: army medical services, including National Society staff incorporated in these services, authorized civilian medical facilities and the international organizations of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This means that ICRC staff and its equipment may be marked with the red cross emblem for protective purposes. To ensure protection, the emblem must be large and clearly visible. Misuse of the emblem is a violation of international humanitarian law: it annihilates the very meaning of the emblem, which must at all times stand for protection and humanitarian assistance.

The emblem is also used to show that a person or object is linked to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. To avoid confusion with the emblem used as a protective device, the red cross and red crescent used for indicative purposes is smaller in size.

The red cross was the emblem adopted by the International Conference meeting in Geneva in 1863. The follow­ing year it was given official recognition in the first Geneva Convention. Later, the Ottoman Empire decided to use a red crescent instead of the red cross. Sev­eral States followed suit and in 1929 the red crescent in turn was granted official recognition.

Who belongs to the international red cross and red crescent movement?

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world, for it is present and active in almost every country. It is united and guided by the seven Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. All Red Cross and Red Crescent activities have one central purpose: to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without discri­mination, and to protect human dignity.

The ICRC is the Movement’s found­ing body. In addition to carrying out operational activities, it is the promoter and custodian of international humani­tarian law. It is also the guardian of the Fundamental Principles. In cooperation with the Federation it organizes the Movement’s statutory meetings.

There are now more than 160 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. National Societies act as auxiliaries to the public authorities in their own countries and provide services ranging from disaster relief, health and social assistance to first-aid and child-care courses. In wartime their first-aid staff are incorporated into the army medical services. All National Societies must first be recognized by the ICRC, on the basis of set conditions for recognition, in order to become part of the Movement. Subsequently they may become members of the Federation, the National Societies’ umbrella organization.

The Federation works to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote humanitarian activities carried out by its member National Societies. Founded in 1919, the Federation coordinates international assistance from National Societies to victims of disasters, whether natural or man-made, outside conflict areas. It encourages and promotes the establishment and development of National Societies, for instance helping them to plan and implement disaster, preparedness programmes and long-term projects designed to reduce vulnerability and contribute to sustainable development. It acts as a permanent body of liaison for the National Societies.

Besides working in their own countries, National Societies second personnel to the ICRC to help organize food transport and distributions, for instance, or care for the war-wounded and manage water and sanitation projects, Cooperation with National Societies in the field is steadily increasing; in recent years they have on occasion taken over responsibility for entire projects, leaving ICRC delegates free to attend to more specific tasks that only they can carry out, such as visits to detainees and prisoners of war. Providing food for community kitchens serving meals to displaced children and the elderly, repairing and rehabilitating wells destroyed by the fighting and delivering basic medicines to rural health centres cut off from their normal sources of supply are examples of such projects.

Solidarity within the Movement is essential. Help given by one component of the Movement to another can range from donating ambulances to helping to train first-aid volunteers, for example. Some National Societies set up their own programmes in a foreign country where needs are high and resources insufficient, for instance after severe floods or earthquakes. Such projects are carried out in cooperation with the local National Society and in coordination with the Federation.