The World Cancer Leaders’ Summit brings together leading global decision makers to influence international health policy and secure a strategic response to the global cancer epidemic. It allows for timely debate on emerging issues related to cancer and provides a forum to spotlight cancer as a major health issue, which demands a coordinated and multi-sectoral global response.

The most recent World Cancer Leaders’ Summit took place on November 18, 2011 in Dublin, Ireland shortly after the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in order to quickly
develop a broad-based action plan for cancer based on the outcomes of the UN meeting. The event was held in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society, the World Health Organization, and the World Economic Forum.

This year’s agenda provided an opportunity to hear from key experts and advocates from around the world that are contributing to increasing the visibility of cancer control within the international policy arena and what the Political Declaration of the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs means from different perspectives. Participants and speakers included various Ministries of Health, UICC member organizations, civil society organizations, and corporate partners.
Following the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs and now the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit, we enter a year in which there is much work to be done to ensure that momentum is not lost and that the commitments made at these two landmark events are implemented.