The United Nations marked on Thursday the 60th anniversary of its peacekeeping operations by honoring those who died in the cause of peace.

At the UN headquarters in New York, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno led a solemn wreath-laying ceremony to pay tribute to fallen colleagues.

Guehenno noted that 90 peacekeepers died last year, taking the total number of personnel who have died since the first operation was established in 1948 to over 2,400.

"Serving far from home in challenging and dangerous environments, these men and women represent the best the international community has to offer; we pay tribute to their sacrifice and dedication in pursuit of the noble goals of the United Nations," he said.

"But even as we mourn those we have lost, we pay tribute to the professionalism, dedication and courage of those who continue the work of their departed comrades whom we honor here today," he said.

On Friday, Guehenno will award the Dag Hammarskjold Medal, named after the second UN chief, to the UN personnel who lost their lives last year serving the UN peacekeeping operations.

In a message marking the occasion, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says peacekeeping has now developed into a flagship enterprise of the United Nations with more than 110,000 men and women deployed in conflict zones around the world.

"In the past year, I have visited peacekeepers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. In states emerging from conflict, I have seen refugees returning home, children heading back to school, citizens once again secure under the rule of law. I have seen whole societies moving, with the help of the peacekeepers, from devastation to rebirth."

"This anniversary is an occasion to celebrate, but also to mourn our fallen colleagues," the secretary-general said.

"Each one is a hero. Today, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that their sacrifices are never forgotten and the vital work of the Blue Helmets continues as long as they are needed," Ban said.

The UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) was the first UN peacekeeping operation created by the UN Security Council in 1948 to monitor an armistice agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

The 60th anniversary of UN peacekeeping coincides with the annual International Day of UN Peacekeepers, which was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2001 to be marked on May 29.

(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2008)