The United Nations General Assembly has officially endorsed a historic resolution encouraging member states, educational bodies, and media organizations to adopt equal-area map projections—such as the Equal Earth projection—that accurately represent the true physical dimensions of Africa and other equatorial regions.

The resolution, draft title “Correct the Map: Rebalancing global cartographic representation,” was introduced by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union. Following intense diplomatic discussions at UN Headquarters in New York, the measure passed overwhelmingly with 164 votes in favor.

The United States cast the sole opposing vote, criticizing the initiative as an unnecessary distraction from pressing economic and geopolitical challenges. Meanwhile, six nations—Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine—abstained.

Official General Assembly Vote Tally:

• YES (In Favor): 164

• NO (Opposed): 1 (United States)

• ABSTAINED: 6 (Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine)

At the heart of the campaign is the phase-out of the 1569 Mercator projection. While mathematically designed to aid maritime navigation by preserving compass bearings, the Mercator map severely distorts landmasses as they recede from the equator. This design visually inflates high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere—such as North America and Europe—while drastically shrinking equatorial continents, including Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.

Under traditional Mercator maps, the island of Greenland appears roughly equivalent in scale to the African continent. In reality, Africa spans over 30.3 million square kilometers—making it nearly 14 times larger than Greenland and expansive enough to easily accommodate the landmasses of the United States, China, India, Japan, and most of Europe combined.

Speaking after the adoption of the resolution, Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, noted that visual representation carries profound educational, cultural, and geopolitical consequences. “Maps shape our collective understanding of the world,” Dussey declared. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence public perceptions. A fair world begins with a fair map.”

Though non-binding, the UN resolution urges member states, textbook publishers, digital mapping services, and global technology firms to integrate equal-area projections into classrooms and public platforms.

Togo announced it will begin updating its national school curriculum before the end of the year, while co-sponsor nation France confirmed it will transition away from the Mercator projection in its national educational materials.