Aknowledging the complexity of local-global interconnections, the author argues for the adoption of a global polity perspective in adult education, here applied to study mobilisation processes that occur through UNESCO. The findings point to three processes that cross geopolitical borders and professional interests: "landmarking," by which a shared sense of a common past is created; "brokering," which helps shape a common future direction; and "framing," which is used to convert ideational landscapes into material government-led actions. The theoretical perspectives and analytical insights presented could be used in analogous studies in other areas of education or with a focus on different political actors.