International
A resolution submitted by Togo on behalf of the African Group urging the use of the "Equal Earth" map projection—which accurately represents the true relative sizes of the world's countries and continents, particularly the African continent—was passed by the UN General Assembly on September 4, 2026, with 164 countries voting in favor. Reports highlighted that replacing the "Mercator" map, which had been in use for centuries, with such an equal-area map would reveal the true geographic proportions of equatorial countries and island nations like the Maldives; with the United States voting against and 6 countries abstaining, this resolution marks an important step toward displaying landmass sizes without distortion in sectors such as education and media.
A significant resolution on using the 'Equal Earth' map—which represents the size and shape of world nations in their true proportions—was adopted at the UN General Assembly on 6 September 2026. This decision is a historic step taken to accurately reflect the true proportions of the world's landmasses, changing the depiction caused by traditional and historically used Mercator maps where the sizes of some continents and countries appear reduced or enlarged. Following the adoption of this resolution with broad support from member states, efforts have begun to update maps used in official UN documents and various programs to this new standard.