A recurring theme and major problem in debates about different conceptions of global citizenship education (GCE) is that these conceptions are based on assumptions and ideas that have to be regarded as controversial in a global context. One way to deal with this challenge is to reconceptualize GCE in a way that accommodates more educational and political diversity by lowering the expectations and requirements associated with its aims. A more modest conception of GCE could be conceived as a form of basic general education that describes minimal requirements for GCE, which would constitute a global educational canon. This contribution develops a critical discussion of the question of whether the PISA approach to basic general education and its associated conception of global competence should be regarded as a plausible candidate for such a cosmopolitan educational minimum.