The United Nations on Thursday feted 60 years of peacekeeping around the world, with its overstretched"blue helmets" in high demand but somewhat tarnished by sex abuse and corruption scandals.

"Today, we have more than 110,000 men and deployed in conflict zones around the world," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a message to mark International Day of Peacekeepers.

"They come from nearly 120 countries, an all-time high, reflecting confidence in United Nations peacekeeping," he said.