What can we do to tackle hostage taking by non-state actors?

Chatham House event on state hostage taking

I sat down at Chatham House with Ambassador Roger Carstens, US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Amy Manson, President of Kari Corp and Board Member of Hostage US and Tim Lambon of Crisis24.

What is non-state hostage taking?
In which countries is hostage taking most prevalent?
Why do hostage takers take hostages?
How are hostages released? Do countries negotiate to release their citizens?
Should we pay ransoms to terrorists and criminals?
And what are the challenges governments face in responding to this kind of kidnapping?

You can watch our conversation here.