ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), working with governmental organisations (GOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other international organisations (IOs), has recommended that military provincial teams should focus on stabilisation through the provision of a secure environment, allowing the IC to reconstruct areas that might otherwise be inaccessible to them.

These Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) have operated in Afghanistan under the control of the US-led Coalition since Dec 2002. They have successfully introduced a measure of stability to their localities through patrolling, monitoring, influence and mediation, thereby facilitating the reconstruction efforts of other members of the International Community (IC) and allowing extension of the influence of the Government of Afghanistan (GOA). They have also participated to a lesser extent in the reconstruction effort particularly in areas where other agencies have been unable to operate.

At the same time, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has successfully brought a measure of stability to Kabul and its environs. It was recognised by the GOA, and subsequently by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), that expansion of ISAF’s mandate beyond the Kabul area would build on the high reputation of ISAF to bring stability in the provinces through the presence of international military forces and PRTs.

The PRTs form an understated presence within a region, effecting operations through non-violent means. Serving as a focal point for IC involvement and working closely with UNAMA field representatives, the result is a synergistic effect that has already proved very effective. PRTs are also playing an important role in Security Sector Reform (SSR) related activities outside of the Kabul AOO. Through the hosting of Ministry of Interior (MOI) liaison officers they are improving the engagement of the GOA; there is scope to extend this engagement with the attachment of other Afghan government officials. Over time a PRT’s focus can be expected to shift from military presence to governance development, ultimately facilitating the creation of Afghan solutions to Afghan problems to allow the exit of the IC.

PRT Objectives

• Support the GOA in the development of a more stable and secure environment.
• Assist in extending the authority of the GOA.
• Support where appropriate the SSR initiatives.
• Facilitate the reconstruction effort and reinforce national development priorities.
• Enable unity of effort amongst civil actors.
• Demonstrate the IC’s commitment to Afghanistan’s (AF’s) future.

PRT Mission

PRT Tasks

• Improve the security environment for the Afghan people through dialogue with regional leaders and confidence building activities and mitigating likely areas of conflict.
• Monitor, assesses, advise on and support SSR activities in close coordination with UNAMA, SSR lead-nations and bilateral programmes.
• Assist the GOA in dissemination of its decisions and policies to the regional leaders.
• Provide a visible presence in assigned AOO.
• Monitor and assess the military, political, and civil situations within the AOO.
• Provide information and intelligence to COMISAF for development of a Common Operational Picture of the assigned AOO.
• Assist the IC with the process of reform and strengthening of civil administration.
• Facilitate Information sharing between the GOA and civil agencies.
• Organize and facilitate periodic principals’ meetings to facilitate dialogue and liaison between the GOA / UNAMA and regional leaders.
• Direct assistance to the civilian element of the PRT in terms of transport support, engineering, etc.
• Be prepared to host and assist international observers assisting in the development of civil structures.

Co-ordination Framework

Security. GOA-led, UNAMA-supported forums for the co-ordination of security already exist, bringing together HQ ISAF and CJTF76. Until the GOA is able to establish its own robust links with its provincial governors, HQ ISAF’s involvement in these forums will be the primary means of ensuring that security-related tasks to PRTs are co-ordinated with the national intent.

Reconstruction. Experience has shown that the IC is better able to demonstrate unity of purpose where reconstruction work is properly co-ordinated. The necessary mechanisms, led by the GOA, already exist at national, provincial and district level; they should be used and not duplicated. Increasingly, the GOA will assume (from UNAMA) the lead in regional development planning, and it will need to censure (or even disengage) those actors of the IC that are not fully supportive – including PRTs. It is therefore a natural precondition of PRT deployment that the reconstruction priorities of the lead and contributing nations should be subordinated to those of the Provincial and National Strategies.

PRT Steering Committees. The PRT Executive Steering Committee has been set up to bring together the GOA’s MOI, UNAMA, Coalition and ISAF Commanders, NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative and ambassadors of the PRT lead nations. This body acts as the main co-ordination focus and provides the necessary guidance and oversight of all existing and future PRTs.

Support Framework

NATO is committed to the pursuit of multinational joint logistics initiatives throughout ISAF, including the establishment of forward support bases (FSBs) for PRTs as required. During the deployment phase of a PRT, however, and until ISAF multinational logistic arrangements are established, lead nations may be expected to be self-supporting.

Where a PRT is being established in a location currently served by a Coalition PRT, some infrastructure may be available.

Future of PRTs

Existing PRTs have proven that a few international troops can disproportionately and positively influence a local situation. There have been successes for the PRTs, across the spectrum, notably:

Security - In particular the Kandahar, Ghazni and Gardez Civil Affairs Teams and PRT have played a vital role in supporting local security forces to secure the CLJ registration processes.

Security - In Mazar-e-Sharif, the PRT has played a key role as a facilitator, with UNAMA, for the government to negotiate a ceasefire, as a monitoring and verification force to ensure the terms of the ceasefire are upheld, and in allowing the central government to exert its authority in the regions based upon accurate and detailed unbiased information.

SSR - In Gardez joint patrols with the ANA and in Kunduz assisting to train the police.

Reconstruction - Facilitating USAID to get to the Helmand Bridge site, and refurbishment of the Kunduz Hospital that was too large a task for any NGOs to undertake.

Adoption of PRTs by ISAF

The establishment of new PRTs requires careful consideration and there are many factors to take into account. It is particularly important that HQ ISAF, the Coalition, UNAMA and the Afghan Government are involved in this decision process. In particular, there are practical reasons that may limit deployments. If ISAF is to assume greater responsibility for PRTs, it must be able to support them. To meet this requirement, ISAF will establish Forward Support Bases (FSB) around the country to ensure that a PRT commander can be comfortable in the knowledge that help is at hand when required. .
The next planned expansion of the NATO PRTs will be to the West of Afghanistan and is expected to include Herat.

Current Operational NATO PRTs

Concluding Remarks

The introduction of provincial strategies marks a turning point in Afghanistan’s rehabilitation, and there is unprecedented breadth of agreement on their necessity and potential to succeed. PRTs, and rehabilitation could easily fail without their deployment.

Acting Chief PIO / Spokesperson	Maj. Tissot Van Patot	0093 (0) 70 29 48 50
pressoffice@isaf-hq.nato.int