Articles and Related Media

Arrival in Afghanistan

By Torwoli Dzuali, International Relations
(October 2005)

On August 27, 2005, Brian Tkachuk arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan to begin his post as Corrections Advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). His arrival marks the third year of CSC involvement in Afghanistan and is part of a continued Canadian commitment to establishing a modern correctional system which responds to the rule of law and respects international standards of human rights.

To date CSC has played a crucial role in laying the foundations for the development and management of a functioning correctional system in Afghanistan. The mission is strongly supported by Foreign Affairs Canada and entirely funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

For Brian, the mission is not a first. He has traveled extensively in the past and has been involved in other post-conflict regions, but it was only after finally setting foot on Afghanistan soil that the true significance of his assignment hit him.

"I thought, what the heck am I doing here?! The streets are abundant with tanks, army vehicles and military personnel. National and international security forces are everywhere!" said Tkachuk.

On closer examination, he was even more moved by the condition of the Afghan people; the weariness and despair that serve as a reminder of the need that remains in this torn nation and the support his mission hopes to provide. "The people are aged well beyond their years; a tired population where the effects of war, occupations and drought have left their scars."

Brian is encouraged, however, by the gradual progress that is being made. For instance on September 18, 2005, only a few weeks after his arrival, several million Afghans took to the polls to cast their ballots in the country's first provincial elections in well over three decades. Despite much violence and threats of derailment, the elections went ahead and an elected parliament is expected to hold its first session later this month.

Significant gains have also been made in criminal justice and penal reform. The first Corrections Advisor to UNAMA was Drury Allen (2003-2004), followed by Gordon Holloway (2004-2005). In mid 2005, Gordon witnessed the passage of the monumental Prisons and Detention Center Law. This new legislation is a significant step forward for Afghanistan corrections and aims to enforce the protection of prisoner rights and adherence to other international prison standards.

Speaking on the passage of the law, Christopher Alexander, then Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, described it as a "key step forward for justice, human rights, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and other priority agendas" but acknowledged that "much will remain to be done to implement it on the ground".

Brian will be working closely with the Afghan Minister of Justice and the Head of the Central Prisons Department to oversee the implementation of the law; a process that will involve the development of new regulations and policies, staff programs and human rights training for all stakeholders across the country. There is also a need for the overall reconstruction or renovation of correctional facilities throughout the country's provinces and the development of offender support and reintegration programming.

Brian will be involved in all these projects and is looking forward to continuing the work started by earlier CSC Advisors. His stay in Afghanistan will carry on through till August 2006, and we certainly wish him all the best of luck and success on this mission!