The State Duma of the Russian Federation unanimously adopted the draft law On the Russian Red Cross (RRC) in its second and third readings at a plenary session. This step will complete the creation of a modern legal framework for the country's oldest humanitarian organisation, which has a history spanning over 158 years and provides assistance to an average of 2 million people annually.
The draft law establishes the special status of the Russian Red Cross as the only National Society of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Russia. The document defines the mission, basic principles of activity, rights and obligations of the organisation, as well as the basis for its interaction with government bodies. Thus, the RRC will become the first and only public organisation in the country whose activities are regulated by a separate federal law.
“Today's decision by the State Duma is a historic event for our organisation. After many years of work on the draft law and several attempts at its adoption, we are now at the end of this journey and hope that the Russian Red Cross will gain a legal foundation that will not only confirm the unique role of our organisation, but also provide the tools for more extensive, systematic and effective assistance to those in need. We would like to thank the deputies,
the Russian Government and the Presidential Administration for their consistent work on this strategically important document, and we hope that the draft law will be approved by the Federation Council and signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin," said Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross.
The adoption of the law was the result achieved from many years of effort. Its necessity had been discussed for more than two decades, as the activities of the Russian Red Cross in modern Russian history were regulated only by fragmentary provisions in various legal acts.
“Today, we passed a law in both the second and third readings that stipulates the main areas of activity for the Russian Red Cross, including the work of its regional and local branches, the principles of the organisation's operation, and matters relating to the use of the Red Cross emblem. The Russian Red Cross is the largest humanitarian organisation in the country, carrying out important social and charitable missions. It provides assistance to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, orphans, large families and those who find themselves in difficult life situations. I am therefore convinced that enacting the status of the RRC will provide a legal basis for its activities and strengthen its position in the field of humanitarian aid and public health protection”, commented Sergey Leonov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection.
After the approval by the Federation Council and signing by the President, the law will come into force, opening a new chapter in the history of the organisation.
It is worth noting that back in 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree ‘On State Support for the Russian Red Cross Society.’ At that time, the document established the state's obligation to provide the funds necessary to pay the annual statutory contribution to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and, at the same time, recognised the need for state support for social, medical, health and charitable programmes developed by the RRC in the form of competitive funding. The decree has remained in force to this day.
The first attempt to establish a legal framework for the National Red Cross Society in this country was made in the late 1990s. The draft law was developed with the active participation of the RRC leadership and experts. In January 1997, the draft law was submitted to the State Duma and was considered in various iterations until the end of 2002. Over several years, the text of the draft law was revised several times and was rejected at the stage of signing by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. During a new review in December 2002, the State Duma withdrew it from further consideration.
The next attempt to pass the draft law was made in 2007. At that time, the draft law was returned by the State Duma Council twice to the initiator to ensure the compliance with the requirements of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the State Duma Rules of Procedure.
The third draft law, which was supposed to define the legal status, mandate and functions of the RRC, was drawn up in 2015. It was submitted to the lower house of parliament and, after numerous revisions, was withdrawn from consideration by the State Duma on 9 April 2018 by decision of the relevant committee – the Committee on Health Protection.
The legal regulation process gained new momentum in 2021 against the backdrop of a large-scale transformation within the Russian Red Cross itself and increased public attention to issues of humanitarian development in the country. With the scale and volume of aid provided by the country's largest humanitarian organisation visibly increasing, the lack of a clear status created certain practical difficulties.
In June 2025, the draft law passed its first reading and, once amendments were incorporated, was adopted at a plenary session of the State Duma 9 December in its second and third readings simultaneously.
