This article discusses the scientific debate that has been held in the "International Journal of Lifelong Education" (IJLE) over the past four decades concerning intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and adult learning and education (ALE) policies. Drawing upon a field-analytical perspective comprising the political and scientific fields, this discussion is based on a systematic literature review of published articles in the IJLE and qualitative content analysis. The main findings stress the relative autonomy of the scientific subfield of ALE; however, the need to strengthen critical reflection to avoid interpretative perspectives imposed by IGOs' policy discourses and concepts is also emphasised.