The emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement now has three emblems in use following the decision of the diplomatic conference held in Switzerland in December 2005 to create the red crystal emblem, alongside the red cross and red crescent.

The red cross and red crescent emblems are universally recognized symbols of assistance for the victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters. In use since the nineteenth century, these emblems unfortunately do not always enjoy the respect to which they are entitled as visible signs of the strict neutrality of humanitarian work. Moreover, certain States find it difficult to identify with one or the other.

To resolve these issues, the States party to the Geneva Conventions adopted a Third Additional Protocol to the Conventions at the diplomatic conference in December 2005 establishing the red crystal.

In June 2006 the 29th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent amended the Movement's statutes to incorporate the new emblem and formally adopted the name red crystal. The change in the Statutes allowed the ICRC to recognize and the International Federation to admit as a member the Magen David Adom in Israel. The same conference requested the ICRC to recognize and the Federation to admit the Palestine Red Crescent Society. As a result, both societies joined simultaneously.

International humanitarian law specifies the use, size, purpose and placing of the emblems, what respect for the emblems entails and the penalties for misuse.

These provisions are also analysed in numerous ICRC publications.

The national implementation of international treaties falls to States, which are therefore responsible for ensuring respect for the emblems.