During Amnesty International’s 50-year existence, the organization has worked to promote human rights globally. The organization began campaigning for an end to the death penalty in 1977 and continues to call on all states to abolish this punishment. In 1984 the UN adopted the Convention against Torture yet torture remains widespread. In 2010, Amnesty International recorded and investigated human rights abuses in 157 countries and territories worldwide. The need for individuals to stand together to protect human rights is as great as ever.