The author introduces another facet of the language business - translation for public and quasi-public institutions. Organizations like the European Commission, the IMF, and other international bodies are among the largest employers of translators and language services in the world. Many of their problems are specific to the nature of such organizations, their needs and decision-making structures. Others are similar to the challenges faced by firms, large and small, in the private sector. The author shows that international organizations like the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) can innovate as well as their private-sector counterparts.