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

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Friday on an African-led effort to change how the world perceives itself on a map. Africa argues that the centuries-old Mercator projection disproportionately enlarges landmasses farther from the equator, making the continent appear smaller than it truly is. Backed by the African Union, the resolution encourages governments, schools, international organizations, and technology companies to adopt “Equal Earth” and other equal-area maps where size matters.

While it does not ban the Mercator projection, the draft seeks to establish more proportionally accurate maps as a new global norm. Togo's Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, is leading this initiative, emphasizing that it is a scientific, not political, campaign. The text aims to correct the Mercator distortion by promoting the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area projections, changing educational tools, engaging tech platforms, and setting a new global standard.

Africa, which straddles the equator, is comparatively less enlarged in the Mercator projection, while Europe, North America, Greenland, and Russia are substantially stretched. This results in Africa, Latin America, and other equatorial regions appearing smaller relative to northern countries than they actually are. The effort is not about absolving Africa of responsibility but about ensuring that its true size is represented accurately worldwide.