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Ramsay Clark, US Attorney-General in the Carter Administration in 1977 said that: [a] right is not something that someone gives you; it's what no one can take from you."

This principle forms part of the rationale for the existence of the Commission that is being launched here today. South Africa, in adopting a charter of fundamental rights, has become a society based on values and principles, in which those values and principles are protected by and enshrined in the law. The Government of National Unity regards the maintenance of our new Bill of Rights and the establishment of a human rights culture as one of its top priorities.

Fundamental rights - or human rights, if you will - represent the core values that encapsulate the soul of the nation - how we see ourselves, and what we strive to be. These rights are essentially also freedoms; freedoms in respect of our individuality, religion, and political, social and economic views and actions. Simultaneously these rights also define responsibilities, because every right goes hand in hand with a responsibility.

By saying that a right is something which is not given to you, Clark asserts the very essence of constitutionally protected rights: these rights belong to you, as of right, because of the mere fact of your existence. In addition, no government at whatever level may deny you these rights. To the contrary Government has a solemn duty to provide for the protection of these rights.

Dit is egter ook waar dat die fundamentele regte wat deur die regstaat beskerm word, dikwels uit verskeie oorde aangeval word. Dit is dikwels 'n regering of organe van die staat wat deur die bestaan van 'n handves in toom gehou moet word.

Daarom is een van die beginsels, wat ons nuwe handves ten grondslag le, die beperking van mag en die voorkoming van magsmisbruik.

'n Gedeelte van die funksies van die Menseregte-kommissie is om te verseker dat die fundamentele regte wat in ons handves vervat is, in die praktyk nagekom word - dat hulle 'n lewende en alomteenwoordige faset van ons daaglikse lewe word.

Die blote bestaan van 'n handves van fundamentele regte verseker nie noodwendig die dag-tot-dag nakoming van menseregte nie. Talle ondertekenaars van die Verenigde Nasies se konvensies vir die beskerming van menseregte is ook soms die ernstigste oortreders. Ons almal - en spesifiek die kommissie - se taak in Suid-Afrika is om te verseker dat 'n egte menseregtekultuur in ons land posvat en dat die waarborge in ons Grondwet nie betekenislose woorde op papier word nie.

In carrying out this task the Commission will often have to adopt morally courageous positions. It will often be called upon to protect the individual against the state; the weak against the strong; the unpopular against the popular and the minority against the majority. This is because human rights are often written precisely for the protection of individuals and communities that cannot assure the promotion of their interests by commanding a majority in Parliament.

I accordingly welcome the establishment of the Human Rights Commission and wish it well with the important task that lies ahead in ensuring - in the words of Ramsay Clark - that none of our rights is ever taken away.

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