AMERICAN RED CROSS (ARC)

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 Cross flag is not to be confused with the St. George cross which is the flag of England, Barcelona, Freiburg and several other places. In order to avoid this confusion the protected symbol is sometimes referred to as the "Greek Red Cross"; that term is also used in United States law to describe the Red Cross.