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Policy transfer studies have put a lot of emphasis on studying the influence of international organizations on policy convergence. However, they have paid less attention to the reception of policy transfer. Based on a study of the transfer of the social determinants of health by the WHO and of its integration into local public health policies in France and Denmark, this paper argues that the reception of policy transfer is an active process. It requires the contribution of intermediate actors who circulate ideas, highlight their relevancy according to local policy issues, and integrate them within local public policies. Our conclusion is that the conditions and constraints of the reception of policy transfer help explain policy convergence.