Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest countries, is a priority partner country for German and international development cooperation. GTZ started implementing technical cooperation measures on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in 2001, after the fall of the Taliban regime.

The success of the country's current reform efforts depends on establishing effective administrative structures and stable conditions for all sections of the population. Economic recovery, an efficient administrative framework, higher educational standards, functioning infrastructure services and the observance of human rights, in particular the rights of women and girls, are tasks that have to be addressed. Only then will it be possible to overcome the obstacles to development that have arisen over the past two decades. Civil reconstruction is made more difficult on account of the security situation in several Afghan provinces.

The German and Afghan governments have agreed to concentrate on the following priority areas in response to the country's diverse problems:

• Economic development
• Energy supply
• Water
• Education
• Good governance, focusing on the rule of law, gender and regional development
• Development-oriented emergency and transitional aid

GTZ also works on behalf of other German federal ministries. Funding from the Federal Foreign Office (AA) is, for example, being used to reform the vocational education sector and to help build up the police force. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg), GTZ is in charge of the planning and implementation of construction measures on German armed forces’ sites in Kunduz and Taloqan. Wherever possible, it uses local firms. This has a positive impact on employment in the region and on the quality of the construction firms.

The activities of many programmes and projects in these priority areas have been harmonised. The measures are being implemented both in Kabul and in the provinces. GTZ has maintained an office in Kabul since 2002.