Malaysian astrophysicist, Mazlan Othman, is currently head of the UN's Office for Outer Space Affairs, could be given the role of responding to any potential alien contact.
Othman will attend a Royal Society conference in Buckinghamshire next week where she will set out the details of her proposed position.
The 58-year-old is expected to tell delegates that the proposal has been prompted by the recent discovery of hundreds of planets orbiting other starts, which is thought to make the discovery of extraterrestrial life more probable than ever before.
"When we do, we should have in place a coordinated response that takes into account all the sensitivities related to the subject. The UN is a ready-made mechanism for such coordination."
The UN scientific advisory committee will will debate the plans before they eventually reach the body's general assembly.
