UN Adopts Togo-Led “Correct the Map” Resolution With 164 Votes in Favour

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa” on Friday, September 4, 2026. The initiative, submitted as draft resolution A/80/L.104, encourages governments, educational systems, media organisations, and digital platforms to transition away from the 16th-century Mercator map projection in favour of equal-area projections such as the Equal Earth map. According to official voting records, the measure passed with 164 votes in favour, six abstentions, and a single vote against.

According to UN documents, the diplomatic campaign was spearheaded by Togo on behalf of the African Group and supported by the African Union along with advocacy groups such as Africa No Filter. Ahead of the General Assembly vote, Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated that maps shape education, guide public perception, and influence global understanding, adding in separate remarks reported by BusinessTech that “a fair world begins with a fair map”. Supporting delegation statements confirmed that French Foreign Minister Jean–Noël Barrot announced France will discontinue the Mercator projection in its national school curriculum, remarking in an Indian Express report that correcting a distorted visual representation serves as an “act of truth”.

Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey addressing the African Group at the UN regarding resolution A/80/L.104. Photo Credit: Robert Dussey/Instagram

The traditional Mercator projection was created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, primarily to assist European sailors in plotting straight-line nautical compass routes across…