• Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey urged the UN to support the “Decolonize Geography” campaign, challenging the Mercator map projection that minimizes Africa’s size.

• Dussey called for reparative justice, including recognition of slavery, colonization and the transatlantic slave trade as genocide against African peoples.

• He highlighted Togo’s domestic reforms and 7% economic growth in 2025, stressing that Africa needs fair representation on the UN Security Council.

Togo placed Africa’s global representation at the center of the UN General Assembly last week. Speaking at the 80th session in New York, Foreign Minister Robert Dussey criticized distortions caused by the 16th-century Mercator projection, which reduces Africa’s real scale while inflating Europe and North America.

“Africa is intentionally minimized,” Dussey said. He noted that with 30.3 million square kilometers and nearly 1.5 billion people expected by 2030, the continent could contain the United States, Russia, India, France, the United Kingdom and China combined.

Togo urged member states to support the campaign “Decolonize Geography,” which seeks to correct biased cartography and establish a new political map. Lomé stressed that the initiative is not only about scientific accuracy but also about reinforcing Africa’s place in international relations and collective imagination.

Dussey, speaking on behalf of President Faure Gnassingbé, also emphasized reparative justice. He urged the international community to recognize slavery, the transatlantic trade and colonization as genocide against Africans.

“Africa demands justice because it was plundered, enslaved, colonized and excluded from global decision-making for 80 years,” Dussey said, adding that reparations should include economic reforms, debt restructuring and investments in education, health and infrastructure.

He recalled that in February 2025, the African Union adopted a decision classifying slavery, deportation and colonization as crimes against humanity and genocide. Dussey called on the UN to follow suit for credibility and justice.

The minister reiterated Africa’s longstanding demand for permanent seats on the UN Security Council. He argued that excluding the continent from decision-making structures perpetuates historical injustices.

“Reforming the Security Council is a matter of dignity and justice,” Dussey said. He linked this demand to broader reparations for Africa’s marginalization in multilateral institutions. Lomé will host the 9th Pan-African Congress on multilateral reform in 2026 to further this agenda.

Dussey also presented Togo’s socio-economic achievements, including reforms in public finance, digitization of government services, business climate improvements and expanded social programs.

He reported 90.7% geographical access to healthcare, 86% access to drinking water, 74.5% electrification and 85.7% financial inclusion. Agricultural yields rose sharply between 2020 and 2025, while the Port of Lomé handled 30.6 million tonnes of goods in 2024.

These reforms accelerated economic growth to 7% in 2025 and reduced poverty from 51.1% in 2020 to 24.8% in 2025. Togo now ranks second in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) for human development, according to the UNDP index.

Despite progress, Dussey warned of persistent security threats. He called for stronger international cooperation to counter terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa, paying tribute to civilian and military victims of regional conflicts.