The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the “Correct the Map” resolution.
The initiative, championed by the Republic of Togo on behalf of the African Group, calls for a fairer and more accurate cartographic representation of Africa and other global regions.
Designed primarily for navigation in the 16th century, the widely used Mercator projection distorts relative surface areas, significantly understating the true geographic size of the African continent.
In an official statement, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf commended Togolese President H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé for his leadership in mobilizing international support, while praising AU Member States and the African Group in New York for their collective unity.
“Beyond cartography, this initiative underscores the importance of representing Africa on the basis of objective and scientifically established realities,” the AU Chairperson stated.
He further urged global bodies, educational institutions, publishers, and digital media platforms to phase out outdated map projections in favor of representations that reflect true landmasses.
“Africa must be represented as it truly is: in its true dimensions and in its rightful place in the world,” Youssouf stressed, reaffirming the AU Commission’s commitment to working alongside Togo and international partners to implement the resolution.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana