Story perspectives

UN General Assembly Backs “Correct the Map” Resolution 164–1

9/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution urging maps that show Africa’s size.
164 nations voted for it, six abstained, and the United States opposed alone.
Togo’s foreign minister Robert Dussey led the African Union-backed “Correct the Map” campaign.
The resolution urges schools and tech firms to use Equal Earth projection, showing Africa fourteen times larger than Greenland.
U.S. deputy representative Yaryna Ferencevych called the initiative ideological and a distraction.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 48/114, the “World Map” initiative, promoting the Gall-Peters projection to depict Africa’s true scale. The measure passed with 140 member states voting for it, five against, and 13 abstentions, demonstrating overwhelming developing-country backing. Today, 2024 UN resolution urges Equal Earth projection, championed by Togo minister Robert Dussey, while United States, via Yaryna Ferencevych, voted alone against it. The recurring dispute underscores how cartographic choices shape curricula, technology platforms, and geopolitical narratives, prompting future debates over visual representation standards.

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Story summary

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution urging maps that show Africa’s size.
164 nations voted for it, six abstained, and the United States opposed alone.
Togo’s foreign minister Robert Dussey led the African Union-backed “Correct the Map” campaign.
The resolution urges schools and tech firms to use Equal Earth projection, showing Africa fourteen times larger than Greenland.
U.S. deputy representative Yaryna Ferencevych called the initiative ideological and a distraction.

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