Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team

Canada assumed responsibility for the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in August 2005. Twenty-five PRTs throughout Afghanistan help the democratically-elected government of Afghanistan extend its authority and ability to govern, rebuild the nation, and provide services to its citizens.

Based in Kandahar City in the southern province of Kandahar, the Canadian PRT is located in the former heartland of the Taliban regime, which previously controlled much of Afghanistan. Kandahar is one of the Afghan provinces in greatest need of support and is also among those most targeted by insurgents.

The 330-person PRT combines the expertise of diplomats, corrections experts, development specialists, the Canadian police, including the RCMP, and the military. It supports key initiatives in the province and carries out a broad range of enabling roles such as police training and strengthening local governance capacity, in line with Canada’s priorities in Afghanistan.

The PRT works on projects that have impact in the long, medium, and short term. The most important achievements will be those that foster long-term, sustainable benefits to the Afghan people. At the same time, "quick impact" projects are also being carried out across the province to respond to the immediate needs that Afghans face in their daily lives.