A/RES/52/226 Page 4 19. Emphasizes that the procurement of goods and services in the field missions could be sourced competitively at the local or regional level; 20. Notes the progress made in the area of staff training, and requests the Secretary-General to develop further a formal training programme for all procurement staff; 21. Reiterates its decision that all procurement-related functions should be performed only by United Nations staff, and requests the Secretary-General to phase out gratis personnel from the Procurement Division expeditiously, and no later than 31 July 1998; 22. Requests the Secretary-General to review the organizational structure of the Procurement Division in order to ensure effective and efficient management, taking into account the implementation of procurement reform, including the recommendations contained in the reports of the Advisory Committee,2 the Board of Auditors5 and the Office of Internal Oversight Services,3 and to report thereon, through the Advisory Committee, to the General Assembly; 23. Underlines the need to maintain inventory records in accordance with the relevant regulations and rules; 24. Requests the Secretary-General to entrust the Office of Internal Oversight Services with conducting a comprehensive review and analysis of the procurement-related arbitration cases and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session on measures to be taken; 25. Also requests the Secretary-General to define and publish the procedures governing the role of the ombudsman and to examine the feasibility of assigning that position to a division other than one under the direct authority of the Assistant Secretary-General for Central Support Services; 26. Regrets the continued delay in the publication of the procurement manual, and notes with concern the apparent absence of effective communication between the various key Secretariat departments involved in its preparation; 27. Requests the Secretary-General to examine alternative methods of collecting statistical data in order to provide a more transparent view of the true national provenance of companies benefiting from procurement contracts; 28. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit proposals on possible amendments to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations in order to address issues of potential conflict of interest, such as the employment of former United Nations procurement officers by United Nations suppliers and vice versa; 29. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at the main part of its fifty-third session on the implementation of all of the provisions of the present resolution. 82nd plenary meeting 31 March 1998 /...