EU Explanation of Vote – UN General Assembly: Resolution on “Correct the map”: rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa

Excellencies,

I have the honor to deliver this explanation of vote on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The European Union and its Member States would like to thank the Permanent Mission of Togo for facilitating the negotiations on the draft resolution entitled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa”.

The European Union supports the objective of this initiative to promote a more equitable and accurate cartographic representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa, and welcomes its scientific, educational and awareness-raising purpose. 

Throughout the consultation process, we appreciated the constructive spirit of dialogue and compromise that characterized the negotiations on this initiative.

As consistently emphasized during the process, the European Union and its Member States wish to reiterate their understanding that the scope of the present resolution is strictly limited to cartographic representation for educational, awareness-raising and geographical literacy purposes, including the depiction of the relative size of continental landmasses.

In this regard, we underscore that the resolution neither addresses nor affects questions relating to sovereignty, territorial status, delimitation, or the internationally recognized borders of States, in Europe, Africa, nor any part of the world. Nor should any element of its implementation or any cartographic representation produced pursuant to it. The resolution does not imply recognition of, support for, or acquiescence in any claim concerning disputed territories, changes to existing borders, or alterations to the legal status of any territory, nor does it endorse any specific website, such as equal-earth.com, including the maps contained therein.

For the avoidance of doubt, the European Union and its Member States recall that, within the United Nations system, the representation of international boundaries and territorial status remains governed by established United Nations policies and authoritative cartographic references prepared by the United Nations Geospatial Information Section. Nothing in the present resolution shall be interpreted as modifying, superseding or otherwise affecting those references or the internationally recognized boundaries reflected therein.

We request that this statement be reflected in the official record of the meeting and, once again, express our appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Togo, as facilitator, for the efforts undertaken towards the adoption of this resolution.

Thank you.