By Asha Elmi - Reporter
New York, 5 September 2025 The U.N. General Assembly on Friday backed a resolution calling for more accurate world maps, saying the widely used Mercator projection misrepresents the size of continents and diminishes perceptions of Africa.
The resolution, titled “Correct the map: rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa,” was adopted 164-1 with six abstentions.
The United States voted against. Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained, according to the United Nations.
The text calls for wider use of equal-area projections, particularly the Equal Earth projection, where comparative size matters.
The sponsors, led by the Group of African States, said distorted maps used in textbooks, media, digital platforms and official documents affect education, public understanding and perceptions of Africa’s scale and potential.
Togo, which introduced the resolution on behalf of the African group, said more accurate mapping was part of a broader effort to address historical imbalances in how the world is represented.
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“Our approach is not directed against any nation, any civilization or any cartographic tradition,” Togo’s representative told the Assembly. He said the aim was to promote projections that better preserve the true proportions of continents, including the Equal Earth projection preferred by the African Union.
The United States opposed the measure, arguing it was tied to a broader ideological agenda and questioning the Assembly’s focus on map projections dating back centuries.
Ukraine also raised concerns about the Equal Earth projection, saying it depicts parts of its territory occupied by Russia in a manner it considered unacceptable.
The European Union supported the objective of more equitable and accurate cartographic representation but stressed the resolution was limited to education, awareness and geographical literacy and did not affect questions of sovereignty, territorial status or internationally recognized borders.
The resolution does not replace existing world maps or ban the use of the Mercator projection but encourages projections that more accurately represent the relative size of continents.
The vote came as the General Assembly completed its substantive work for its 80th session, which ends Sept. 8.