She was briefing reporters here at the end of the first day of the two-day southern region workshop, discussing the main policy recommendations of the `Human Development Report 1998', which focusses on consumption patterns.

The UNDP would provide $ 1 million directly and the Turner Foundation, through the UN, another $ 1 million, she added.

The pilot project of the UNDP-supported South Asia Poverty Alleviation Programme underway in 700 villages of Kurnool, Ananthapur and Mahbubnagar districts would also create synergy between UN agencies, she added.

She said a joint UN system-supported programme for community-based primary education just launched in seven states, including AP, aimed at bringing the child back to school.

For the first time, she said five UNagencies --- UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UNESCO and ILO -- had come together with coordinated programme inputs on child labour initiative.

Dr Mc Sweeney said that following the lead set by the Madhya Pradesh Government in preparing the first State Human Resources Development report -- on the lines of the UN's Human Development Report -- many states, including Andhra Pradesh, had indicated similar plans to the UNDP and the Planning Commission.

The AP Government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UNDP for the preparation of such a report.

Dr McSweeney said though AP had made ``rapid and impressive progress'' in human development indicators, it was lagging behind states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu in aspects like literacy and child mortality.

She said the focus of development needed to be people, and not incomes and growth alone, and added the workshop had made suggestions on key themes that should be focussed upon, not only in the AP HDR, but in those of other southern states.

Dr RSudharshan, chief economist for HDRs, said the UNDP would take up fresh parameters to assess poverty level with the State Government.

Though the UN's Human Development Report was based on the 1997-98 National Sample Survey data provided by the government, the state HDRS should be based on the 1994-95 National Sample Survey data and a district-wise poverty estimate, he said.