World Cancer Day is chosen on February 4 by the Charter of Paris 2000. It aims at raising public awareness of cancer and encouraging its prevention, detection, and treatment on that day via advocacy campaigns. The UICC, founded in 1933, is a global consortium of more than 400 cancer-fighting organizations in over 120 countries, and firstly initiated the World Cancer Campaign in 2005.

　　World Cancer Day targets the public through global communications marking, and encourages policy makers and UICC member organizations to make cancer a political priority.Since 2006, UICC has coordinated World Cancer Day activities, supported by members, partners, the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international bodies.

　　From 2008 to 2011, the four-year theme campaign—“Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World” is launched every year regarding different issues:

　　• 2008 – give children and young people a smoke-free environment

　　• 2009 – encourage an energy-balanced lifestyle based on healthy diet and physical activity

　　• 2010 – learn about vaccines against viruses that cause cancers (e.g. HPV vaccines)

　　• 2011 – teach children and teenagers to avoid UV exposure by being "sun smart"