The world of international institutions seems remote for many people. They grab the headlines when there is a political or humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa but otherwise fade out of sight. Yet it is a misleading impression because it obscures their increasingly important more mundane activities. If a law firm or real estate agent wants a copy of an individual's recent utility bill or passport it could be because the Financial Action Task Force associated with the OECD is promoting a ‘know your client’ policy across the world, or if the clothes one sees in the shops increasingly carry a ‘made in People's Republic of China’ label it could be because of action to phase out textile quotas agreed in the World Trade Organization, or if the benefits in a company pension scheme are suddenly reduced it could be because an international accounting organisation has changed the rules of how pension liabilities are to be counted. Away from the spotlight of headline events, international organisations have an increasing influence on the fabric of everyday life. Even when international decision-making becomes highly visible and may have public backing, for example when elected leaders come together as the G8 to agree on debt cancellation for the poorest countries, most people will be stumped to define what the G8 is, how it relates to international organisations such as the United Nations or World Bank or how indeed its declarations feed back into national democratic channels.