Canada's Embassy in Afghanistan 

For many years, Canada’s principal focus in Afghanistan was providing humanitarian and development assistance both bilaterally and multilaterally—through the United Nations, the World Bank, NGOs and other partners—in response to civil war and a series of natural disasters.

Diplomatic relations with Afghanistan were established in 1968 to facilitate these efforts but were severed following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Diplomatic relations were not re-established with any of the regimes that held power following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 until the appointment in January 2002 of the Interim Administration of President Karzai. Canada reopened its embassy in Kabul in September 2003.

Today, Canada works within the multilateral context, including at the UN General Assembly, the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, to ensure the human rights situation in Afghanistan gets due consideration and remains integral to the work of the international community.

Canada’s diplomats are working elsewhere in support of efforts in Afghanistan, including at NATO, through the G8, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Through our embassies and high commissions, we engage with regional partners to promote regional cooperation on issues of security and economic development. We also work closely with the Afghan Embassy in Canada.

More than 70 Foreign Affairs officers work on Afghan issues, both at headquarters and abroad. In August 2006, there were 24 Canadian-based staff and 34 locally engaged staff working at the embassy in Kabul. As a result, from 2005 to 2006, Canada’s presence on the ground in Kabul increased by 350 percent, in terms of Canada-based program staff. In addition, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has a substantial and growing headquarters team dedicated to Afghan development programming, as well as officers based in Kabul and Kandahar.

Canada's Embassy in Afghanistan

With the opening of an embassy in Kabul, in September 2003, Canada further enhanced diplomatic relations with the Afghanistan Transitional Authority under President Hamid Karzai. David Sproule is Canada's Ambassador to Afghanistan.

The Embassy provides the resident diplomatic and consular presence required to effectively support Canadian defence and development efforts in Afghanistan in close coordination with Afghan partners and the international community. It also serves to promote Canadian interests in a complex and rapidly changing environment and provides assistance to all Canadians in the country.

Canada's diplomats at NATO and the United Nations are also contributing to peace and security in Afghanistan by playing active roles in promoting ISAF at NATO and supporting the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Afghanistan opened an embassy in Ottawa in November 2002 and a consulate in Toronto in April 2003.