In remarks before African leaders, Ban Ki-moon said the UN is ashamed and horrified over the damage by peacekeepers who exploited vulnerable people.
Ban was addressing an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The UN human rights office said yesterday that it had turned up six more cases of alleged sexual abuse against children by European troops in Central African Republic.
The UN also announced new allegations against UN peacekeepers from Bangladesh, Congo, Niger and Senegal.