another, to serve as an officer, a new officer shall be elected for the remaining term of office of the his or her predecessor. Chapter V: Secretariat Rule 22 : Functions of the Secretary-General 1. The Secretary General or his representative may attend the meetings of the Commission. He shall participate neither in the deliberations, not in the voting. He may, however, be called upon by the Chairman of the Commission to address the meeting. He may make written or oral statements at the sittings of the Commission. 2. He shall appoint, in consultation with the Chairman of the Commission, the Secretary to the Commission. 3. He shall, in consultation with the Chairman, provide the Commission with the necessary staff, material means and services for it to carry out effectively the functions and missions assigned to it under the Charter. 4. The Secretary-General shall take all the necessary steps for the meetings of the Commission. 5. The Secretary-General shall bring immediately to the knowledge of the Commission all the issues that would be submitted to them for consideration. Rule 23 : Estimates Before the Commission shall approve a proposal entailing expenses, the Secretary-General shall prepare and distribute, as soon as possible, to the members of the Commission the financial implications of the proposal. It shall be incumbent on the Chairman to draw the attention of the members to those implications so that they discuss them when the proposal shall be considered by the Commission. Rule 24 : Financial Rules The Financial Rules adopted pursuant to the provisions of Articles 41 and 44 of the Charter shall be appended to the present Rules of Procedure. Rule 25 : Powers of the Secretary of the Commission The Secretary of to Commission hereinafter referred to as "Secretary" shall be responsible for the activities of the Secretariat under the general supervisions of the Chairman, and particularly: a) He/she shall assist the Commission and its members in the exercise of their functions; b) He/she shall serve as an intermediary for all communications concerning the Commission; c) He/she shall be the custodian of the archives of the Commission. Rule 26 : Records of Cases A special record, with a reference number and initialed, in which shall be entered the date of the registration of each petition and communication and that of the closure of the procedure relating to them before the Commission shall be kept at the Secretariat. Rule 27 : Financial Responsibility The Organisation of African Unity shall bear the expenses of the staff and the means and services placed at the disposal of the Commission to carry out its functions. Chapter VI: Subsidiary Bodies Rule 28 : Establishment of Committees and Working Groups 1. The Commission may, during a session, taking into account the provisions of the Charter and in consultation with the Secretary-General, establish, if it deems necessary for the exercise of its functions, Committees or Working Groups, composed of the members of the Commission and send them any Agenda item for consideration and report. 2. These Committees or working Groups may wit the prior consent of the Secretary-General, be authorised to sit when the Commission is not in session. 3. The members of the Committees or Working Groups shall be appointed by the Chairman, subject to the approval of the absolute majority of the other members of the Commission. Rule 29 : Establishment of Sub-Commissions 1. The Commission may establish sub-Commissions of experts after the prior approval of the Assembly; 2. Unless the Assembly decides otherwise, the Commission shall determine the functions and composition of each sub-Commission. 4