‘Misleading Map Will Not Be Acceptable’, India Object After UN Support for a New World Map?

During the vote, the United States was the only country to oppose the proposal, while 164 countries, including France, the United Kingdom and India, voted in favour.

However, the new map has sparked controversy after reports emerged that India’s geographical boundaries were shown differently. The issue has also gained attention on social media.

Senior journalist Suhasini Haider wrote on social media platform X that parts of Jammu and Kashmir had been shown as part of Pakistan and China on the newly released map.

Following the controversy, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on Sunday, saying that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh should be shown on the proposed UN world map only according to India’s official map. It said that any “incorrect” or “misleading” depiction would not be acceptable.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified its position on the new map.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution on September 4 regarding an equal-area world map. He said the purpose was to promote the use of maps that preserve the land area of continents.

The statement said the resolution did not endorse any specific world map. It also did not make any decision on issues related to political maps, including international borders, disputed territories or place names.

India said it had voted in favour of the resolution and, while explaining its vote, had stressed the basic principle of using equal-area maps.

However, the statement added that India had also stressed that the resolution did not support any specific map, projection or depiction of national borders.

It said India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, should be shown only according to India’s official map.

“Any incorrect or misleading depiction will not be acceptable,” the statement said, adding that India’s position on its sovereignty and territorial integrity was clear and could not be compromised.

Pakistan’s Response

Pakistan rejected the statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the map of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said that India’s unilateral actions and what it described as its “illegal occupation” could not change the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.

In response to questions from the media, Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajaad Haider Khan said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was one of the oldest unresolved international disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

He said that, according to relevant UN resolutions, the final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people through a free and impartial plebiscite under the relevant Security Council resolutions.

According to the spokesperson, official UN maps show Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, which reflects its current legal status.

He said India’s “official maps” and unilateral claims of sovereignty did not affect the status of the disputed region.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office called on the international community to urge India to immediately stop human rights violations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and fulfil its commitments regarding the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Why Was a New World Map Needed?

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on Friday seeking to introduce a map that represents the world more accurately in place of the current world map.

The resolution received support from 164 countries, while the United States opposed it and six countries abstained.

The UN resolution is not legally binding, but it could lead to changes in world maps used around the globe.

The world map that has been used since the 16th century has long been criticised for showing Africa as roughly the same size as Greenland, even though Africa is actually 14 times larger.

Critics argue that this representation makes the development needs and potential of countries located near the Equator appear smaller than they actually are.

The Mercator map, one of the most famous ways of representing the round Earth on a flat surface, was developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator.

The Mercator projection represents the Earth on a somewhat tilted surface. Countries near the Equator appear smaller than their actual size, while countries closer to the poles appear larger.

In an attempt to address this problem, a team of cartographers developed an equal-area map in 2018, which they called the “Equal Earth projection.”

In February, the 54 member states of the African Union adopted it, saying that it represents the size of all continents, particularly Africa, more accurately.

The online campaign group “Correct The Map” explained the difference by saying that the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and most of Europe could fit inside Africa, while there would still be some space left.