The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, whose activities are based on 7 basic principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntariness, uniqueness and universality. The international sign for personnel, buildings, means of transport, etc. is a red cross with equal arms on a white field (Swiss coat of arms with modified colors). In accordance with the Geneva Conventions (1929 and 1949), instead of the name and sign of the Red Cross, the name and sign of the Red Crescent (most Muslim countries), the Red Lion and the Sun on a White Field (Iran), and the Red Star of David (Israel) are used. In 2005, the additional protocol of the Geneva Conventions adopted an additional identification mark, which the International Conference in 2006 called the Red Crystal. When in the Italian-Austrian war of 1859, in the battle near Solferino, 40,000 wounded were left on the battlefield without water, food and medical care, the eyewitness of that battle, the Swiss Henry Dunant, encouraged the establishment of an international philanthropic organization in Geneva to help the wounded and sick in war, and under the name and sign of the Red Cross (October 29, 1863). The following year, representatives of 12 European countries signed the First Geneva Convention, an international agreement on the neutralization of the wounded and medical personnel during the war and on equal treatment of the wounded of all warring parties. Over time, other conventions followed, especially those on the treatment of prisoners of war and the protection of the civilian population during the war. Founded to assist military health, the Red Cross gradually turned into an important peacetime humanitarian organization for providing assistance in natural disasters, in voluntary blood donation, in the fight against tuberculosis and addiction diseases, in training health personnel, in social-medical work, in general improvement living conditions, so it is an important factor for peace in the world. The International Committee of the Red Cross won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, 1944 and, together with the League of Red Cross Societies, in 1963. The activity of the Red Cross in Croatia began in 1878, when auxiliary societies and committees were established for the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (first in Zadar, Dubrovnik and Zagreb), which eventually grew into Red Cross organizations. The work of the Red Cross was intensified during both world wars. With the independence of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Red Cross was founded in 1991 as a national society, which was accepted as a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in October 1993. The seat of the National Society is in Zagreb, and over 20 county societies operate, which in turn include city and municipal (110 of them) and local (4500 of them) societies; The Croatian Red Cross has around 260,000 members. In particular, the Croatian Red Cross was involved in the Homeland War, securing from international sources around 400,000 tons of humanitarian aid for numerous war victims. He organized accommodation and psychological and social assistance for refugees and exiles. The tracing service was involved in finding missing persons, in connecting separated family members, in the National Program for the identification of victims of the Homeland War. The voluntary blood donation service has been operating since 1953. The Croatian Red Cross has been a member of the International Federation for Saving Life on Water since 1996 and works on the organization of rescue services.