UN approves resolution to correct distortion of the world map led by Togo

On the world map, Africa, South America and South Asia have been represented, since the 16th century, smaller than they are. This Friday (4), the United Nations General Assembly decided to correct the distortion by examining the proposal entitled “Correct the map”, led by Togo and other African countries.

In total, representatives from 164 countries voted in favor of the change. Only the United States was against it. There were six abstentions. The proposal changes the global cartographic representation to “show some regions of the world more fairly”, as explained by the UN.

Speaking before the vote, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said the approval sends the message that the General Assembly believes in “scientific truth.”

Furthermore, according to him, the decision reinforces equality of representation and the dignity of people. For him, it's not just about correcting a map, it's about correcting perception.

Distortion

The argument goes that the Mercator projection, designed in 1569 for navigation purposes, has been widely used in educational, media, digital, and official materials.

However, the distortion caused the landmasses north and south of the equator to be enlarged. This representation led to the perpetuation of “an unbalanced view of the world”, the Africans pointed out.

The text also states that the correction of these cartographic distortions of continental dimensions will provide “cognitive justice and memorial reparation” to foster mutual understanding between peoples.

Accuracy

African Union representatives presented the “Equal Earth” model as the cartographic projection that would more accurately represent the dimensions of all continents. The UN hopes that the approval of the resolution will encourage the adoption of this model by governments, international organizations and other entities.

Still in the arguments of the African Union, maps constitute a fundamental educational, scientific and cultural tool that “shapes the perception of the world and the collective imagination of people”.

According to the text, the distortions have cognitive, educational, cultural, geopolitical and socioeconomic impacts and constitute “historical biases, the correction of which will promote recognition, justice and development”.

The UN argued that the Compact for the Future, approved by Member States in 2024, emphasized the need to eliminate traces of historical and structural inequalities and to eradicate all forms of discrimination.