Previous Year Question
Consider the following infrastructure sectors:
Affordable housing
Mass rapid transport
Healthcare
Renewable energy
On how many of the above does the UNOPS Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) initiative focus for its investments?
Only one
Only two
Only three
All four
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
The Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation Initiative of the United Nations Office for Project Services was known as S3i.
Its three primary investment focus areas were:
Affordable housing
Renewable energy
Health infrastructure
Thus, Sectors 1, 3 and 4 in the question were included in the S3i focus areas. Mass rapid transport was not one of its three declared primary investment sectors.
S3i was formally established in March 2020 as a separate business unit within the UNOPS governance structure. It sought to move beyond the traditional project-implementation model by enabling direct investment in sustainable infrastructure from the UNOPS balance sheet.
These sectors were selected because of their relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals:
Affordable housing was connected with safe and inclusive human settlements;
Health infrastructure was connected with healthcare services and hospital capacity;
Renewable energy was connected with clean energy and reduction of carbon emissions.
Current status (2026)
S3i is no longer active in its original direct-investment form. Following serious investment and governance failures associated with the initiative, UNOPS discontinued that investment model and initiated independent reviews, accountability measures and governance reforms.
UNOPS continues to work on sustainable infrastructure, renewable-energy and healthcare projects. However, these activities should not be confused with the former stand-alone S3i direct-investment programme financed from the organisation’s own balance sheet.