Signed in Geneva’s Hôtel de Ville on 22 August 1864 by 12 states and comprising only 10 articles, it sets out the rules governing the treatment of wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Most importantly, it recognises the neutrality of medical staff, vehicles and buildings, as well as stating that all combatants shall be cared for. And Article 7 says that ‘a distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted… a red cross on a white ground’.8 An iconic symbol of hope and trust was thus created. What’s more of a surprise is that there are actually four Geneva Conventions. Three more followed for the
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