UN Backs Africa’s Push To ‘Correct The Map’, Urges Use Of More Accurate World Map

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution titled “Correct The Map”, backing a Togo-led campaign supported by the African Union and advocacy groups to change how Africa is shown on world maps. The vote urges wider use of the Equal Earth projection and marks the culmination of a long-running effort to reflect Africa’s actual size more accurately.

A total of 164 member states voted in favour on Friday. The United States voted against the resolution, while Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained.

The vote gives formal UN support to an African Union-backed push that argues common world maps understate Africa’s actual size. The campaign asks governments and institutions to move away from the Mercator projection, which has been widely used since the 16th century, and consider the Equal Earth projection instead.

The resolution does not ban Mercator or force countries to replace it. A UN report said it simply encourages governments and institutions to consider using Equal Earth, a map format that advocates and geographers say shows continents in more accurate proportions. Ahead of the vote, Togo’s foreign minister Robert Dussey was quoted by the UN as saying: “Maps shape our understanding of the world. They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.”

Map Projections Explained

The dispute centres on Mercator. Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator developed the projection in the 16th century to help navigation. It preserves directions well, which is why it became standard for sailors. But it does not preserve relative surface areas accurately.

That distortion matters. Regions closer to the poles such as North America and Greenland can appear much larger than they are, while Africa and South America appear smaller. Under Mercator, Greenland can look roughly comparable in size to Africa despite being far smaller.

Equal Earth is newer. Introduced in 2018, it takes the Earth’s curvature into account and presents continents in proportions that more closely reflect their actual size. Under that projection, Africa appears about 14 times larger than Greenland. The visual effect is stark — Europe appears smaller, Brazil looks larger and Greenland shrinks sharply compared with Mercator maps.

African Union Response

The African Union welcomed the vote. The Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the UN congratulated Togo and the African Group after the resolution passed.

“Congratulations to the delegation of Togo on the adoption this morning by the #UNGA of resolution A/80/L.104, 'Correct the Map', an @_AfricanUnion initiative promoting more accurate and equitable global cartographic representation, particularly of Africa,” the mission posted on X.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also praised Togo’s role and the unity of African countries behind the initiative. In a communiqué, he congratulated the Republic of Togo and President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé for leading the effort on behalf of the African Group. “The adoption of this resolution marks an important step forward,” Youssouf said.

The AU has framed the issue as more than technical mapmaking. It has argued that Africa should be represented according to “objective and scientifically established realities”. In a separate X post, the AU Commission called the UN vote a “historic step toward accurate and equitable global cartographic representation”. It added: “For centuries, the Mercator projection distorted global geography, shrinking Africa to the size of Greenland when our continent is actually 14 times larger,” the commission posted.

Youssouf linked the campaign to a wider question of global representation. “Africa must be represented as it truly is: in its true dimensions and in its rightful place in the world,” the AU Chairperson said.

Support And Next Steps

Africa No Filter, one of the groups backing the campaign, welcomed the resolution and pushed for much broader use of accurate maps. “We want to see accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and on the digital platforms billions of people use every day,” the organisation said.

Several countries also welcomed the resolution and backed greater adoption of the Equal Earth projection.

Support also came from France. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X after the vote: “Changing the map obviously doesn’t change the world. But correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth.”

The UN resolution does not prohibit Mercator and does not mandate its replacement. Instead, it encourages governments and institutions to consider Equal Earth. The African Union is now calling on international institutions, schools, publishers and digital platforms to gradually adopt equal-area projections, especially in classrooms, media and other public-facing uses. The AU Commission said it would continue working with Togo, its member states and other partners to support the initiative's implementation.