The International Committee of the Red Cross and its multifaceted activity since 1863 present a complex picture, full of paradoxes. To reiterate points made in the introduction, it is an organization that is primarily private but with public dimensions. It manifests liberal ends but conservative means, championing the worth of the individual but proceeding cautiously on the basis of state consent – which can be slow in manifesting itself. It professes to be non-political but is inherently part of humanitarian politics. It promotes international humanitarian law (IHL) but resorts to public legal judgments mostly as a last resort, preferring to emphasize pragmatic – if principled – service. It is a product of, and is generally sustained by, western (Judeo-Christian) values, but presents itself as a secular and global Good Samaritan. It is part of an international network officially devoted to universal humanitarianism, but one characterized historically by strong nationalism, including in the past Swiss nationalism. It emphasizes a limited mandate, but over time has expanded its activities broadly. Understandably, Caroline Morehead wrote that “the International Committee itself remained a curious animal.”