This paper contributes to research on lifelong learning (LL) by examining discourses of multilateral organisations through the lens of 'progressive neoliberalism', in which contradictory ideologies of social justice movements and capitalism are hybridised (Fraser 2017). LL has been interpreted as a means of upskilling to remain competitive in the global economy or as a device for promoting social cohesion, equality and personal fulfilment. This study locates LL within the context of educating global citizens of all ages to address world crises and aims to understand underlying ideological assumptions in OECD, UNESCO, WB, EU and IB policy texts. A critical discourse analysis reveals the entanglement of largely symbolic progressive language within the confines of neoliberal capitalism. This ambiguous conceptualisation offers an incoherent framework for LL and perpetuates what Gramsci (1971) describes as a hegemonic bloc. Findings suggest that LL discourses mediate contradictions between two diverging ideological orientations, legitimise social hierarchies and power relations, and provide a superficial approach to global injustices and environmental emergencies.