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