Established in 1843, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva Conventions and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the international activities conducted by the Movement in armed conflicts and other situations of violence. It was on the ICRC’s initiative that States adopted the original Geneva Convention of 1864. Since then, the ICRC, with the support of the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, has constantly urged governments to adapt international humanitarian law to changing circumstances, in particular to modern developments in the means and methods of warfare, so as to provide more effective protection and assistance for conflict victims.

Albanian Red Cross is the oldest humanitarian association in Albania. It was established on October 4, 1921, and was officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1923. Since this year it is a member of the Federation (then the League) of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, being the 38th association founded by then. In this way, the Albanian Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which today has 187 associations around the world. Pursuant to Article 1 of Law No. 7864 on the Albanian Red Cross, approved by the Albanian Parliament on 29 September 1994, the Albanian Red Cross is a voluntary humanitarian association that operates independently on the basis of the fundamental principles of The International Humanitarian Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 – ratified by the Republic of Albania on 27 May 1957 – and the Additional Protocols of 10 June 1977 – ratified by the Republic of Albania on 16 June 1993. ICRC through the Albanian Red Cross was one of the partners of humanitarian aid for the population affected by the damage caused by the earthquake of November 26, 2019.