Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are essential for bringing stability and prosperity to Afghanistan. It has been more than six years since the first PRT started to operate in southern Afghanistan, in the city of Gardez. Since then, 26 PRTs have been established by 18 national governments. PRTs have implemented and supported many important reconstruction projects, and have improved the living conditions of the Afghan population.
That said, there is much to be done to enable PRTs to fully realize their potential – including fostering greater coordination and communication among PRTs. Each PRT operates in a distinct area with distinct goals, making it paramount to acknowledge the need for flexible management. Other challenges include maximizing cooperation with the Afghan central and provincial officials and clearly defining civilian and military tasks on PRTs.
The goals of the conference were to contribute to a coherent PRT reconstruction strategy in Afghanistan based on a candid assessment of their operations to date, and to identify the challenges PRTs face. The conference also aimed to increase awareness among European policymakers, the media, and the broader public of the challenges and the critical importance of reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the Prague Security Studies Institute, the embassies of the United States, Afghanistan, and Denmark in Prague, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty jointly organized the conference.
The conference was held under the auspices of Přemysl Sobotka, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Jan Kohout, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; and Martin Barták, Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic.
