Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and employs some 16,000 people in more than 80 countries. The ICRC is funded mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Neil Davison, scientific and policy adviser in the ICRC's arms unit, contributed one post featured in the "Disarming Our Planet" blog entitled: "Autonomous Weapon Systems: An Ethical Basis for Human Control?".