The Red Cross emblem was officially approved in Geneva in 1863, the same year as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded. The emblem, endorsed by the 16 signatories of the Geneva Conventions on international humanitarian law, is based on the Swiss flag with colors reversed.

The Red Crescent emblem was first used by ICRC volunteers during the armed conflict between Russia and Turkey (1877–1878). The symbol was officially adopted in 1929, and so far 25 Islamic states have recognized it

On December 8, 2005, partly in response to growing pressure to accommodate Magen David Adom as a full member of the Red Cross & Red Crescent movement, a new emblem - officially the Third Protocol Emblem, but more commonly known as the Red Crystal was adopted by an amendment of the Geneva Conventions known as Protocol III.

The new emblem was designed to be easily recognizable and, to make it more universally acceptable throughout different cultures, devoid of religious connotation. No country or national society is obliged to change their emblems, and none are obliged to use the new one; but all are required to respect it in the same manner as the other emblems.

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 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.