Ahead of the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) on 1 October, the call for an international legal instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons is getting louder. The IDOP is an excellent opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older persons make to society, the harms of ageism – stereotyping, prejudice, and/or discrimination of individuals or groups based on their age – and to raise awareness of the issues and challenges of ageing in today’s society.