Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Dussey addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A diplomatic push is underway to reshape how the world literally sees Africa. Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey has announced that his country will table a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly this September, calling on member states to abandon the centuries-old Mercator projection in favour of a map that accurately reflects the true size of the African continent.
“The size we see of the African continent on the globe… is geographically inaccurate,” Dussey said in a Monday interview, insisting on the need for “scientific truth.” He added that a draft resolution is already being prepared, and that how countries vote would reveal their “true colours.”
The move comes after the African Union formally tasked Togo with championing the ‘Correct The Map’ campaign, an initiative led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa. Earlier this year, the AU adopted a resolution encouraging its 55 member states to move away from the Mercator projection and toward the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which is designed to represent countries’ actual relative sizes. “The institutional challenge is to have a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly to validate this map,” Dussey said. “It goes without saying that African countries are already receptive to this initiative.”
At the heart of the debate is a navigational tool that has long outlived its original purpose. Designed in the 16th century by cartographer Gerardus Mercator to assist seafarers, the projection distorts land masses by enlarging regions near the poles — making Greenland appear comparable in size to Africa, when in reality the continent is roughly 14 times larger. North America and South America are similarly misrepresented. Despite these well-documented flaws, the Mercator projection remains in widespread use, including in schools and by major technology companies around the world.
Critics argue the distortion carries consequences far beyond geography classrooms. By minimising Africa’s visual footprint on the world stage, the map has helped entrench perceptions of the continent’s marginality — influencing narratives in media, education and international policymaking, even as Africa is home to over 1.4 billion people and some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
“Accurate representation is not just about maps — it is about agency, progress, and ensuring the world sees Africa as it truly is,” said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter.
The campaign arrives amid a broader moment of African assertiveness at the United Nations. Last month, the UN adopted an Africa-led resolution recognising slavery as the “gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations — a vote that drew sharp divisions, with all EU countries and Britain abstaining, and the United States, Israel and Argentina voting against it. The upcoming map resolution is expected to prove similarly revealing of where global allegiances lie.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah