缅北禁地

The United Nations and the International Cartographic Association () have a long-standing partnership in building awareness on the role of professions in cartography and geospatial information science and the use of maps for decision-making and raising awareness on global agendas.

On 24 January 2021, to celebrate the International Day of Education and to contribute to free and accessible education towards achieving the , the United Nations and the International Cartographic Association released a joint publication entitled Mapping for a Sustainable World () (). The publication aims to share best practices, conventions, and explaining how different mapping techniques reveal spatio-temporal patterns, such as global population growth, socioeconomic disparities, and climate change, to understanding challenges and achievements towards the . By integrating geospatial and statistical data of the , cartography can support decision-making and promote public awareness on the Sustainable Goals.  The publication introduces the SDGs and their relation to data, describes foundational design decisions in cartography, introduces common map types and diagrams for representing the SDG indicators and discusses consideration for map use environments. On 13 July 2021,  was organised to share the editors' journey in the creation, the content and the use of the book, as well as sharing their experiences.

Previously,  for the International Map Year (2015-2016), the International Cartographic Association invited the United Nations to contribute to their publication of The World of Maps on a chapter on .