In his opening statement, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano stated that nuclear power is the best known peaceful application of nuclear energy and that the Agency's latest projections show continued growth in global use of nuclear power in the next 20 years, especially in Asia. He termed the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011 as a "global wake-up call on nuclear safety" and noted the unprecedented efforts to strengthen nuclear safety everywhere following the accident. He also emphasized that a strong safety record will be essential for the future of nuclear power.