Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama signs an autograph after the opening session at the meeting of Nobel laureates in Petra, Jordan

More than two dozen Nobel laureates and other international figures are in the Jordanian city of Petra for a conference focusing on the world's major problems, such as poverty, disease, environment, peace and terrorism.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, and Israel's Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres are among the group of eminent thinkers, economists, scientists, writers and actors participating in the meeting.

The two-day conference is jointly sponsored by Jordan's King Abdullah and Nobel prize-winning writer Elie Weisel's New York-based Foundation for Humanity.

Organizers say they plan to present recommendations from the conference to political and business leaders meeting Friday at the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.