Research in international relations has frequently identified international organisations as sources for national political change (Finnemore 1993, 1996; Finnemore and Sikkink 1999). In particular, constructivist theorising, more specifically new institutionalism, has underlined the importance of international society and international organisations for the diffusion of global policies and values (Meyer et al. 1997a; Boli and Thomas 1999; Meyer 2000). In line with these arguments, this chapter analyses the role of international organisations in the diffusion of lifelong learning, a currently prominent concept in education policy.2 By developing and promoting lifelong learning, international organisations have become important parts – central nodes – in the process of policy diffusion. As such, they enable and channel how policies are transferred across countries; they support the borrowing of policies by identifying ‘best practices’; and they monitor how countries develop with regard to similar policy goals, e.g. by providing statistical analyses.