UN “Correct the Map” resolution pushes for an Equal-area world map

On September 4, 2026 the United Nations General Assembly voted on a draft resolution titled “Correct the Map.” The text urges governments, schools, international organisations and technology firms to give preference to equal-area projections—most notably the Equal Earth map—when the relative size of continents matters. The vote was recorded as 164 in favour, 1 against, 6 abstentions. Sponsored by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union (AU), the resolution is non-binding and does not ban the Mercator projection, which remains useful for navigation.

Serbia Abstains as UN Backs New World Map, US Votes No

Created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, the Mercator projection preserves angles for straight-line compass bearings but inflates high-latitude areas. Consequently, Greenland appears roughly the same size as Africa, even though Africa is about 14 times larger. Critics say this visual bias downplays equatorial continents.

UN: Stop making Africa look small

Cartographers Tom Patterson, Bernhard Jenny and Bojan Šavric released the Equal Earth projection in 2018. It is an equal-area, pseudocylindrical design that keeps surface-area relationships accurate while accepting modest shape distortion. The trade-off is the opposite of Mercator: area is correct, but straight-line bearings are lost.

Newsweek

• In favour: All African Union members, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil and others.

Bloomberg

• Against: The United States.

UN News

• Abstentions: Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine.

Serbia Abstains as UN Backs New World Map, US Votes No

• The U.S. opposed the initiative on procedural and political grounds rather than technical ones.

Africa takes ‘Correct the Map’ campaign to UN General Assembly

• Africa: ? 30.3 million km², about 14 times the area of Greenland (? 2.2 million km²).

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• Campaigners note that the Equal Earth map can display the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and most of Europe inside Africa’s outline with space left over.

UN: Stop making Africa look small

Most outlets report the United States cast the sole against vote. A few sources (e.g., Al Jazeera) describe the U.S. as having abstained, creating a discrepancy in the official record. All other figures—164 for, six abstentions—are consistent.

Serbia Abstains as UN Backs New World Map, US Votes No

• “Maps shape our understanding of the world,” — Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign minister

The Sydney Morning Herald

• “Equal Earth preserves the relative surface areas of continents and, as much as possible, shows their shapes as they appear on a globe,” — Bojan Savric

Al Jazeera (website)

• “Today's resolution promotes equal-area maps like Equal Earth across classrooms, media and international institutions,” — African Union

IFL Science

Togo announced plans to host a meeting in Lomé early 2027 with UNESCO, the African Union and major tech firms such as Google to discuss implementation. The Togolese ministry will revise its school geography textbooks by the end of 2026 and use that change as a model for other nations.

The Sydney Morning Herald

The resolution marks the first near-unanimous UN endorsement of an equal-area world map, signalling a shift from a navigation-centric cartographic legacy toward a representation that more accurately reflects the planet’s geography.

South China Morning Post