New York, September 7 — The United Nations General Assembly recently voted to adopt a resolution encouraging a shift away from the Mercator projection, the world map most widely used since its creation in 1569. The record shows that the resolution, which is non-binding, calls for governments and organizations to use the 2018 Equal Earth projection or other ‘equal-area’ maps, and to raise awareness about the distortions inherent in rendering a spherical planet on a flat surface.
According to the statement, the resolution was championed by a group of African nations, with negotiations led by Togo and backed by the African Union. It frames the move as ‘cognitive justice and memorial reparation,’ arguing that the Mercator projection has distorted geographical understanding of Africa, affecting education, public perception, culture, geopolitics, developmental narratives, and global views of the continent’s scale and potential.
Togo’s representative told the assembly that a fair map does not change the geography of the world, but changes how we see the world, and when our perspective becomes more just, it paves the way for greater understanding, respect and peace among nations.
Opposition to the Resolution
The United States cast the sole dissenting vote, with deputy representative Yaryna Ferencevych calling the measure part of a ‘radical ideological project’ and a reason the UN is ‘losing its credibility.’ Officials confirmed that several countries, including Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Serbia, abstained from the vote, citing concerns that some Equal Earth maps depict and label Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia, which could create ambiguity over disputed territories regarding sovereignty, territorial status, or recognized borders.
A representative from Ukraine objected that endorsing the projection without guardrails could create ambiguity over disputed territories, and the European Union echoed this concern. The Mercator projection was devised to aid sailors by aligning straight lines with constant compass directions, but it enlarges landmasses farther from the equator, resulting in distorted representations of certain regions.
Implications of the Resolution
The resolution does not ban the Mercator projection nor mandate a specific replacement, but it encourages governments and organizations to use alternative maps that more accurately represent the world. According to the statement, this move could have significant implications for how people perceive and understand different regions, particularly Africa, which has been affected by the distortions of the Mercator projection. The African Union’s support for the resolution suggests that the continent’s nations are seeking to promote a more accurate and fair representation of their geography and potential.
As the international community considers the adoption of alternative maps, it will be important to watch how different countries and organizations respond to the resolution and whether they will implement changes to their mapping practices. The US administration’s opposition to the measure may also be a significant factor in shaping the global response to the resolution.
