The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa” by a vote of 164 to 1.

The resolution seeks to promote more accurate representations of the world on maps by encouraging the use of equal-area projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.

This is intended to address distortions associated with traditional systems such as the Mercator projection, which exaggerates the size of regions near the poles compared to those near the equator.

India voted in favour of the resolution but made clear that its support was limited to the principle of equal-area cartographic representation.

The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised that the resolution neither adopts nor authenticates a particular world map, nor does it address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories, or place names.

India stressed that the resolution should remain technologically and methodologically neutral, allowing countries, institutions, and cartographers the freedom to choose projections according to their specific requirements.

MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explained that India’s support was for the underlying principle of equal-area map projections and not for any particular system. He reiterated that India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be shown according to India’s official map.

Any inaccurate or misleading depiction was described as unacceptable. India’s position on sovereignty and territorial integrity was reaffirmed as clear, consistent, and non-negotiable.

Delivering India’s statement at the General Assembly, diplomat Raghoo Puri clarified that New Delhi’s stance was to support the broader use and consideration of equal-area projections without endorsing the Equal Earth projection or any other specific model.

He explained that equal-area projections could provide a more accurate representation of the relative size of different regions, helping to correct distortions that arise from projections designed primarily to preserve shape, direction, or distance.

Puri emphasised that India’s support was specifically limited to encouraging equal-area approaches where the objective was to preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses. This would advance the resolution’s objective without giving preference to any particular cartographic methodology.

India’s explanation of vote highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection, or depiction of national boundaries. The country underscored that its sovereign territory must always be depicted in accordance with its official map.

The adoption of the resolution marks a significant step in global cartographic reform, but India’s nuanced position ensures that its territorial integrity remains safeguarded while supporting fairness in global mapping practices.

ANI