As part of UNCTAD’s initiative to support developing countries in accessing the benefits of a globalised economy more fairly and effectively and help equip them to deal with the potential drawbacks of greater economic integration, it implements the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme (SMEP), funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (UK-FCDO).

​

The SMEP programme supports research and pilot projects to mitigate manufacturing pollution and reduce plastic waste in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. These projects span various sectors, including plastics, textiles, tanneries, organic waste, water treatment and lead-acid batteries, involving research organisations and entrepreneurs in over 23 countries. The programme’s core objective is to implement and test practical solutions—business models, technologies, or hybrid approaches—demonstrating pollution mitigation effectiveness and viability for broader adoption.

Through targeted procurement calls, 27 pilot projects have been funded by SMEP as of 2025.