International Committee of the Red Cross
- Founded
- , Geneva, Switzerland
- Founders
- Henry Dunant, Gustave Moynier, Guillaume-Henri Dufour, Louis Appia and Théodore Maunoir
Mission: To protect the lives and dignity of people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, and to bring them assistance.
The ICRC grew from the testimony of one witness. After seeing thousands of wounded soldiers left without care at Solferino in 1859, the Genevan businessman Henry Dunant called for neutral relief societies and an international agreement to protect the wounded. On 17 February 1863 he and four fellow citizens — Gustave Moynier, General Guillaume-Henri Dufour and the physicians Louis Appia and Théodore Maunoir — formed the committee in Geneva. Within eighteen months, governments had adopted the first Geneva Convention.
Landmarks
- 1864
Governments adopted the first Geneva Convention, the first binding rules protecting wounded soldiers and those who care for them.
- 1901
Henry Dunant received the first Nobel Peace Prize.
- 1917 · 1944 · 1963
The ICRC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three times — the only organisation so honoured.
Leadership today — an homage
Mirjana Spoljaric
President · since 2022
Elected President in 2022 and re-elected unanimously by the ICRC Assembly in February 2026 for a second four-year term, Mirjana Spoljaric has led the institution through one of the most demanding periods in its history, making the defence of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians in war the centre of her public work.
