Abduction of aid workers has risen sharply in particular contexts in the past decade.  Abduction is a “unique form of critical incident”, characterised by its ongoing, “live” nature, often extended duration, the pressure of decision-making and uncertainty.  Though the essential pillars of effective critical incident and crisis management response mechanisms apply, abduction’s idiosyncracies demand a more tailored response, under the umbrella of broader crisis management plans.

This GISF Briefing Paper explores the dimensions of effective, proactive abduction and kidnapping response mechanisms.  It complements the GISF Briefing Paper Crisis Management of Critical Incidents, released April 2010, that looks at crisis response plans as a whole.