The United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to vote on Friday on a resolution that could significantly alter the world's familiar map by promoting the adoption of projections more accurately reflecting the true size of countries. The proposal aims to move away from the widely used Mercator projection, which disproportionately magnifies landmasses closer to the poles and shrinks those near the equator.

The draft resolution, spearheaded by Togo with support from the African Union, urges governments, educational institutions, international organizations, and technology companies to utilize equal-area map projections, such as the Equal Earth projection, when representing the true scale of continents.

The Mercator projection, created in the 16th century primarily for navigation, distorts sizes significantly, particularly away from the equator. For instance, Greenland can appear similar in size to Africa on a Mercator map, despite Africa being approximately 14 times larger. Similarly, regions like Latin America and India are depicted as smaller relative to northern countries than their actual land area suggests.

Robert Dussey, Togo's foreign minister, emphasized that maps are not neutral and can shape perceptions, potentially perpetuating inaccurate representations of geographic reality from an early age. He stated that Africa is seeking recognition of its reality, aspirations, and contributions to the international system, rather than preferential treatment.

Togo has been actively campaigning for support for the resolution, hosting a reception for UN member states. The #CorrectTheMap campaign, which the African Union endorsed in August 2025, has gathered approximately 11,000 signatures. Historians and geographers have long criticized the Mercator projection, with some describing its effects as 'cartographic colonialism.'

While the resolution does not seek to ban the Mercator projection entirely, it aims to establish proportionally accurate maps as a new global norm. The Equal Earth map, developed by an international team of cartographers in 2018, is favored by proponents for its more accurate representation of continental sizes.

The draft resolution calls on governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to adopt the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area maps when the true scale of continents matters

If the resolution passes, Togo plans to collaborate with UNESCO, the African Union, and technology companies, including Google Maps, in the first quarter of next year to discuss implementation strategies.