Passed with 164 votes in favor, 6 abstentions, and only 1 vote against (cast by the United States).
New York, Sept. 4 — The United Nations on Friday adopted a resolution endorsing the Equal Earth projection as a fairer alternative to the centuries-old Mercator map, in a move backers say corrects colonial-era distortions that have long shrunk Africa’s visual footprint on world maps.
The “Correct the Map” resolution passed 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States cast the sole vote against, with its deputy representative dismissing such resolutions as “barnacles on our work here” that erode the institution’s credibility.
The measure was sponsored by Togo on behalf of the African Group, with backing from the African Union and co-sponsorship from the Bahamas. Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, led the campaign, telling delegates that “a fair world begins with a fair map,” adding that maps “shape our understanding of the world” and “guide education” and “nourish the imagination.”
At issue is the Mercator projection, developed in 1569 for maritime navigation, which distorts the relative size of landmasses by inflating those closer to the poles. Under Mercator, Greenland appears roughly the same size as Africa, even though Africa is about 14 times larger. Critics argue the distortion has entrenched a Western-centric view of the world and reinforced outdated perceptions of European dominance.
The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by former U.S. National Park Service cartographer Tom Patterson along with Bojan Šavrič and Bernie Jenny, is an equal-area map that renders landmasses in accurate proportion to one another, though it introduces some distortion in shape.
The resolution is non-binding and does not affect maps used for maritime or aerial navigation. It instead calls on governments, international organisations and educational institutions to adopt the Equal Earth projection in classrooms, media and official use. France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced that France would abandon the Mercator projection, while Togo said it aims to update its school materials by the end of the year.
Moky Makura of the advocacy group Africa No Filter said the vote marked only the beginning: “Now the real work begins,” she said, pointing to the task of pressing governments, schools and technology companies to make the switch in practice.