3. In accordance with the mandate of the Commissioner for Human Rights to promote the awareness of and effective observance and full enjoyment of human rights in Council of Europe member states as well as to provide advice and information on the protection of human rights (Articles 3 and 8 of Resolution (99) 50 of the Committee of Ministers), the Commissioner issues this Opinion concerning independent and effective determination of complaints against the police. 2. Definitions In this Opinion the following definitions apply. 4. Police refers to traditional police forces or services and other publicly authorised and/or controlled services granted responsibility by a State, in full adherence to the rule of law, for the delivery of policing services. While private institutions, a private security company for example, may also provide policing services, this Opinion is not intended to apply to such organisations. 5. Policing services refers to the responsibilities and duties performed by the police to protect the public, including: ff preserving the peace; ff enforcing the law; ff preventing and detecting crime; ff protecting human rights. Such services should be delivered in accordance with principles of fairness, equality and respect for human rights. 6. Complaint refers to a grievance about a police service or the conduct of a police officer that has been made known to the appropriate authority, which may be the police service concerned or an independent police complaints body. This Opinion principally applies to complaints made about the conduct of police officers. Complaints made about policing standards, operational instructions or the policy of a police service will be referred to in this Opinion as ‘service complaints’ in order to distinguish them from conduct complaints. In recognition of the importance attached to service complaints, particularly with regard to the expectation that all complaints will be taken seriously, handled appropriately and for the purpose of lesson-learning, reference will be made in this Opinion to service complaints where relevant to the maintenance of public trust and confidence in the police complaints system. Effective investigation of ill-treatment – Guidelines ► Page 84