2. The Chairperson shall: a) Represent and direct the work of the Commission; b) Preside over the meetings of the Commission; c) Submit the assessment report referred to in Rule 13(3) to the competent organs of the African Union Commission; d) Supervise the preparation of the budget by the Secretariat and its adoption by the Commission; e) Present and defend the budget before the relevant African Union bodies; f) Present a report to the Assembly and to the Commission on the activities carried out during the intersession; g) Perform any other functions that may be conferred upon him or her in the Rules of Procedure or other tasks entrusted to him or her by the Commission or the Assembly; and h) Delegate, when necessary, to the Vice-Chairperson or, if the Vice-Chairperson is not available, to another Commissioner, the above-mentioned powers. Rule 15 Powers and Functions of the Vice-Chairperson 1. If the Chairperson is temporarily unable to perform his or her duties, the Vice-Chairperson, shall perform the duties of the Chairperson. 2. The Vice-Chairperson, acting in the capacity of the Chairperson, has the same powers and functions as the Chairperson. 3. The Vice-Chairperson shall perform any other function delegated to him or her by the Commission or the Chairperson of the Commission. 4. If both the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson are unable to carry out their duties at the same time, the duties of Chairperson shall be carried out by another Commissioner according to the order of precedence laid down in Rule 6. Rule 16 Resignation, Vacancy and Replacement If a member of the Bureau of the Commission resigns from his or her position or ceases to be a member of the Commission, the remaining member shall represent the Bureau until the next session, when the Commission shall fill the position for the remainder of the term of office. Chapter IV Secretariat to the Commission Rule 17 Composition, Structure and Status of the Secretariat 1. Without prejudice to 41 of the African Charter, the Commission shall propose the organisational structure of the Secretariat and shall place it before the African Union for approval. 2. The Secretariat of the Commission is composed of the Secretary and the Commission's professional, technical and administrative staff. 3. The Secretary shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission pursuant to 41 of the African Charter after consultation with the Chairperson of the African Commission. 4. The Status of the Secretary and the staff is governed by the African Union Staff Rules and Regulations. Rule 18 Functions of the Secretary to the Commission The Secretary to the Commission is responsible for the activities of the Secretariat under the supervision of the Chairperson. The Secretary shall specifically: a) Assist the Chairperson, the Bureau of the Commission and other members of the Commission in the exercise of their functions; b) Supervise and co-ordinate the work of the staff of the Secretariat; c) Keep proper records of the Commission, which must be properly organised for easy reference; d) Ensure confidentiality of the records where Commission's appropriate; e) Submit to the Chairperson and the members of the Commission all items that will be considered by the Commission; f) In consultation with the Chairperson, prepare: i. a draft agenda for each session; ii. the Commission's strategic plan, annual work plan and annual budget; 4