New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) India on Sunday backed the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) resolution on an equal-area world map, while maintaining that the country's sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map, and stressed that inaccurate depiction is "unacceptable." 

In response to media queries regarding a UN General Assembly resolution on an equal-area world map, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa” on 4 September 2026."

"Its purpose is to encourage the use of equal-area map projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses. The resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map, nor does it address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names," he added.

Jaiswal said India explained its vote in favour of the resolution and highlighted that it does not endorse any specific map, projection, or depiction of national boundaries.

"India voted in favour of the resolution and also made an explanation of vote stressing on the underlying principle of promoting equal - area cartographic representation. We also highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries. India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map. Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable. Our position on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable," he said.

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a resolution promoting map projections that more accurately reflect the true size of continents -- the culmination of an African-led campaign against the 16th-century Mercator projection, still the most widely used map in the world.

The resolution was adopted with 164 votes in favour; six countries -- Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine -- abstained, while the US was the only nation which voted against the resolution.

The resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or impose a replacement. However, it encourages governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to use the Equal Earth projection and other so-called equal-area maps when relative size matters, and to teach the limitations of any flat map in representing a spherical planet.

--IANS