The U.N. nuclear agency endorsed an action plan on Thursday to help strengthen global nuclear safety in the wake of Japan's Fukushima accident six months ago, despite criticism from some countries that it does not go far enough.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 151 member states, at their annual general conference in Vienna, approved by consensus the plan prepared by the office of IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

It is "both a rallying point and a blueprint for strengthening nuclear safety worldwide," Amano said.