UN backs effort to depict Africa correctly on maps despite US opposition
The American delegation dismissed the resolution as part of a "much larger and more radical ideological project."
On Friday, the United Nations largely supported a resolution aimed at promoting more accurate maps of the world, following an African-led push to move away from the longstanding Mercator projection. The United States remained the sole country to vote against the proposal, arguing that it is part of a broader, more radical ideological agenda and urging nations to exercise "common sense" in the decision-making process. Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine each abstained from voting.
The Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was designed to assist sailors in navigation using compass bearings. However, this map type has significant drawbacks, notably distorting the sizes of landmasses, particularly as they move away from the Equator. Consequently, Africa appears much smaller than it truly is in comparison to Northern Hemisphere countries.
Robert Dussey, Togo's foreign minister and the primary negotiator on behalf of the African group, emphasized during the U.N. vote that "a fair map does not change the geography of the world." The non-binding resolution highlighted that "correcting cartographic distortions of continental sizes constitutes an act of cognitive justice and memorial reparation." It called upon countries to promote the Equal Earth projection, which aims to accurately represent the true sizes of continents, including in educational settings.
Dussey expressed his delight over the adoption of the resolution on X, stating that the decision is "about much more than cartography. It is about justice, dignity, equality, and the way we represent our world."
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