Overview
- The General Assembly voted on Friday, September 4, 2026, 164 in favor, one against and six abstentions to encourage use of area‑equivalent projections such as Equal Earth.
- Togo presented the text on behalf of the African Union, framing the change as an act of “cognitive justice,” and Togo says it will update school geography materials by the end of 2026.
- The United States cast the sole no vote and called the measure ideological, while France publicly pledged to abandon Mercator in official use and other governments voiced support.
- The resolution is not legally binding and asks UN bodies, UNESCO, member states, educators and mapping platforms to adopt area‑accurate maps; widespread change will require curriculum revisions and technical updates from digital map services that currently use Mercator‑based web projections.
- Mercator, created in 1569 for navigation because it preserves straight‑line compass bearings, exaggerates polar areas and shrinks equatorial regions; Equal Earth, developed in 2018, preserves relative areas more faithfully and supporters say its use could shift how generations perceive Africa, Latin America and the Global South.