ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- The African Union has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the “Correct The Map” resolution, describing it as an important step towards ensuring Africa is represented more accurately on world maps.
In a communiqué issued on September 4, 2026, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf commended Togo for championing the resolution on behalf of the African Group and praised African countries for maintaining a united position during the process.
The resolution calls for fairer and more accurate cartographic representations of Africa and other regions of the world.
The initiative challenges the widespread use of the Mercator projection, a 16th-century mapping system originally designed primarily for navigation.
According to the African Union, the Mercator projection does not accurately represent the relative surface areas of different regions and significantly understates the size of Africa.
The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on September 4 after it was introduced by Togo on behalf of the African Group.
The vote was overwhelmingly in favour, with 164 countries supporting the resolution, one voting against and six abstaining, according to reports on the UN decision.
The resolution promotes the use of alternative projections, including the Equal Earth projection, which provides a more accurate representation of the relative areas of continents and countries.
The AU Commission said the initiative goes beyond cartography, arguing that Africa should be represented according to “objective and scientifically established realities”.
It encouraged international institutions, education systems, publishers and digital platforms to progressively adopt maps that more accurately reflect actual land areas.
Youssouf said the African Union Commission would continue working with Togo, AU member states and other partners to support implementation of the initiative.
“Africa must be represented as it truly is: in its true dimensions and in its rightful place in the world,” the AUC chairperson said.
The UN resolution is not legally binding and does not prohibit the use of the Mercator projection.
Instead, it encourages governments and institutions to consider more accurate alternatives, particularly in education, publishing and public-facing digital platforms.
