In his opening statement, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano stated that progress continues to be made in improving nuclear safety throughout the world and that the Agency and its Member States continue to implement the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, which was endorsed by the General Conference in 2011 after the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011. He also said that while taking forward the lessons arising from Fukushima Daiichi, that it is time to start considering a broader approach to strengthening nuclear safety.