and we're focusing more into the fan experience, so we get actually the opportunity of engaging with the public, educating them with some of the new features that you will be introduced in the world cup. for example, the fan id, we will be introducing a new version of it, an improved version of it for the public. so everything has been tested. this is, was actually one of the biggest tests with a population of less than 3000000 people. cattle security forces aren't used to dealing with large crowds, double the amounts of scans, a g to arrive from all over the world for kickoff next year. which is exactly why cats are, has signed agreements early this week for turkey in kenya to send thousands of security personnel to assist other countries will also be helping out to ah, it's taken more than a decade to prepare for the world cup and cattle. it's getting closer towards the finishing touches and even closer to hosting the biggest sporting events the region will ever have seen. so to highlight al jazeera, thou ha,

ah, and let's take you through some of the headlines here on al jazeera. now, on kong, chief executive is urging people to vote in the 1st election since sweeping changes were imposed by mainland china. all candidate saw of acted by beijing and several activists calling for a boycott of been arrested. i do have set a very clear target for this general election of a legislative council. one is to ensure patriots administering hong kong. and i think that objective has been met through the design of the candidate eligibility review committee. so all the 153 candidates could meet this requirement and you can see that they actually come from a very diverse background were very different opinions on the range of issues.

several european countries are imposing new restrictions ahead of the winter holidays after seeing record highs and corona virus cases, the netherlands has begun a strict log down to curb. the spread of the army kron variant pakistan is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the humanitarian and economic crisis in neighboring afghanistan. the meeting is highlighting the need for international assistance as afghans faced the worst food shortages since records began. urgent appeals for food and water being made in parts of the philippines, devastated by super typhoon rye. the number of confirmed dead has risen to 75. many of them drowned and dozens remained missing and flooded areas. 18000 soldiers had joined rescue workers trying to reach remote areas. as the headlines the news continues after talk to al jazeera stay with us. for in hebron boys breathe and fly pigeons. but in this occupied palestinian city boys are

also closely watched place really forces at times shut up and often arrested. a delicately told tale fumed over 5 years of a coming of age in a place where even a child's imagination is heavily restricted. her disguise above had brought a witness documentary on her jazeera with it's one year until the think that her ball walker in cat are the 1st ever to the staged in the middle east. it's a source of great pride for this small country of nearly $3000000.00, which helps the most popular sporting event across the globe were create a laughter legacy for the region. but since winning debate the house football to biggest competition, katara has been under the spotlight over human life issues,

including the flight of my workers and its ability to host such a large scale events. so in preparation for the world cup, it's been holding a test tournament. the 1st ever fee for arab cup, which has seen $16.00 teams compete for the regions most prestigious talking. so is katara ready? i'm fully back the ball. welcome to this special edition of talk to al jazeera. joining us in, i don't. how waterfront studio is the most powerful woman in international sports center guards? fatima similar made history in 2016 when she became the 1st ever female secretary general of football's world governing body and the 1st non european. we'll be talking to her about her journey and the road to cut out 2020 to stay with us. sad fatima, somewhere at people's secretary general talks to al jazeera, fatma zamora, secretary general of fever. thank you for talking to andrea sir. my pleasure fully

to be here one year from now. the fee for world cup 2022 will kick off here in katara. is the country ready? how satisfied is fever with the progress self preparations? well, i think that there, it will be the 1st time in the history. i think of the world cup that the country. yeah. hosting it is ready one year ahead offer dicky. gov, and now from what we have been experiencing over the past few days, we the staging offered a fee for our upcoming which is using $6.00 oh $5.00, the 8 stadium that will be hosting. the 1st woke up in the middle east. i can see that a fever, he's very impressed by the level of operational readiness of godaddy, and definitely the country will be ready went ahead of time to welcome to 1.7 to

2000000 hosts and visitors and football lovers. what expected to visit the country? yes, the, the, the ar cut, which have been attending has been really a test tournament for this world cup. if you were to give an assessment, a grade on things like venues, atmosphere, overall organization, what would it be? where is cut are doing things right. and where do you think there's still room for some improvement? why i think that in terms of her infrastructure, the stadiums, the training side, the accommodation, i don't sing week and compare. i got batteries in the country. they have, they have been, i think the best in terms of hosting where a room for improvement you think, but i think i, the transportation, we still love facing some, some challenges people need to, to find their way because of the compact. the nature of this work up, we'd really want the fans to leave the country with the best experience. and it

will never be again the same for them. because what is woke up fully? yukon watched 2 games. and if you are lucky enough, and really even transportation, are you familiar? yeah, dealt with the middle. yeah. i'm even watched $2.00 to $3.00 games, but there were few hiccups fatma somewhere at the start of this arab cup, notably with the fan id cards. a lot of fans having difficulty having access to this card and getting into the stadiums. it was eventually scrapped. i know, you know, you've been p a secretary general and you were in russia in 2018 as well. you've seen what other countries have done if there was one advice you would give to the category organizers to day to make things a bit more smooth. for fans, as you say, what would it be? well, let me just come back to the fun id that would introduce for the 1st time, ah, for people competition. and i show back in 2018 when i can for good reason because

of security issues because of what organism are also because are we wanted to make it smooth? what everyone the order it is in the russia in for the fine id. but if i id was also a tool that was used to replace these application because was a fine idea, you could access the country without having to go through uh the visa application. since 2018 many things have changed and we have now new requirement in terms of files and people need to have, i'm at the us all exactly with make little bit more complicated as in here. the need also to show that you are fully vaccinated and adding a all those additional requirements do not make it easy for people or 1st and foremost here towards the game, an easy access. so i think the audit is in got that took the best decision and the right decision to,

to remove it temporarily. but i'm sure with what we have learned over during the lisa at up woke up next year will be easier. right now there's been some concern about cotton not having enough hotels and rooms affordable accommodation for those coming to washer woke up. is that a concern that fee for still has it? it may still be your concern is are we receive more foreigners than now? people who have a house in, in, in, in, in got that. and i think this is also something that a. busy fee for a quote 2022 i under the joint venture is taking very seriously, i think, quoted a number of availability is that is, is okay, we don't have any problem, but it's not that affordability also. well, will it be affordable for planning? i all the prices are quite reasonable. i've been in many countries where. busy the euro, for example, was dish winds or whatever it was much,

much higher than we can what we, we are seeing here. so i don't think the, what the problem is a problem of affordability is rather the number of rooms we need for for, for our guests. especially for our executive get that me for the challenges and for the sponsor. but so i work in progress. and i'm sure that the godaddy, especially the supreme committee, are trying to find all possible way, including having some clothes bought here. and this will be also something that we're looking into with them. i had my somewhere with every world cab comes a controversy. it's been the case in south africa in russia. and cutoff has been under a lot of scrutiny for the plight of migrant workers. since the tournament was awarded to the country and 2010 wide schools have denounced the condition of migrant workers who have worked on the construction of world cap stadiums on transport, infrastructure for the world cup as well. hotels and amnesty international i caught

he, i said, safer is as responsible for the welfare of workers as the state of cutter. so what has thief had done about this? how are you working with cattery organizers to make sure that conditions are good and safe? well, let me, let me come back to 2016 when the fever adopted a range of reform under our guarantee. first, that is sufficient. under article 3, we are decided and we committed to promote and that brought it to all human rights. as part of our responsibility and as part of my response, i'm as, as a thief, up look at that, a general out of that ministration. and also for john in front, you know, the president of, if i would take it very seriously. the 1st thing that the johnny did after his

visit to i got that back in 2016 was to put in place. you might write, advisory board or to oh preempt. are all the issues with regard to a human right. and now they made a number of farm i recommendation and it by 2078 to 5 percent of those recommendation will fully implemented for russia. and at the same level of recommendation was made in cut that and i can say that yes, human right is a, is a, is a problem every way is not specific to look at that when, when our children from africa droning in the mediterranean. and now in the atlantic, nobody is pointing fingers the country that aside the vienna convention, but that refuse them access. just for the human dignity, the government and the authorities here in got that i've taken the migrant workers

situation very seriously. i think one of the key highlight was the abolition of the couple. i see them today fully. we have 400000 walkers in this country that have received high a salary because the minimum salary that was in is now in pause for all workers in this country. we continue our with young international bodies such as the international labor office, such as the building a wood workers, but also with the a center for sport in human right. to monitor the situation on a regular basis, the accommodation of the migrant or workers have been visited to make sure that they leave indignity in, in the compound. yes, it's a, it's, it's a long term process to be or up to the level of for some countries. but i think that already cut that is being seen as

a source of inspiration for other countries in the ad i've got how my on the way needs to be done. any of you well that i many things to be done every every way but, but i can, i think what about this? because it, you know, constantly this is what comes up them work as my st. katara soon, is it the one i hear by, but as a human being by nature are always critical. what i'm asking people to do is 1st to relate to the report that was that produced by fi fi by that was produced by this human right bodies. what working here by mentally and also look and hear from the people who are currently attending the fight up if they have any issues, whether it's on a g, b, t, or on this matter of, of, of the, of the migrant workers. yes. well, again, i'll tell you to focus, oh, what does a social media reporting, right, you, you mentioned l g b t q, right?

in the world cup, as we know, has been known to bring people together regardless of their background of their race, of their religion. sexual orientation and homosexuality is outlawed here, of course, as in many other countries in this region. and we saw louis hamilton recently at the formula, one grand prix, where a rainbow helmet, to basically draw attention to l g, b t q writes. what can fee for tell to day to fans? who are l g b t q and who want to come to the well captain cutter, are they going to be safe? well, 1st we're welcome everybody. it's part of fee for our mandate to make that old woke up are inclusive and it is something that we don't and they wish it did do something that is built in the we didn't process for any country that beat to horse . the woke up, people will be welcomed and this is also the message we are getting from mom, d m,

what it is here in got that we need to respect also other people conviction. and we're here for the joy and football being the biggest equalizer, and unified in the world. i'm very sure that everybody will be, was welcome. we face the same issues of 40 years ago of went to years ago in 2018 in a, in, in russia, where they were also, as a media outlets specially the western media were very critical about a deposition of, for the russian oddities toward people with a different sexual orientation, but we've seen it everything went smoothly. and i'm sure the same thing will, will, will happen here. now it will to run alcohol consumption here, which will be available to fans in designated areas. but what about advertising? many significant sponsors of the world cup are alcohol produces how. how is he for working around well as that of our commercial her deals. we need also to respect

her, our commitment towards the sponsored. i was still in constant. i look with them to make sure that her people will want to really to, to, to, to, to drink alcohol. i can bring it to work up is in a year your boss, john, infant, tina. the fee for president says, a world cup every 2 years is needed instead of every 4 years. he says this is necessary to safeguard the future for sports, but there's been a lot of opposition to this fact my samara especially from european countries what, what is your view? why do we need a well cap every 2 years? my view is that we have to top of the dialog. so the football it was his them needs to be to be reformed. and definitely that is a big gap as you know fully between the european of football and the rest of the

wood. and this should not continue just cannot be continued with holding on when you had anything to what i thought, what i was i told i should. i mean, definitely reasonable because i was feasible. but okay, what do you say to critics who say this is all about money in the end that c face wanting $20.00, but we want money to run football. yeah, we need $22.00. not just about the fans and the experience will tell it's about money. right? yeah, but anybody to them foot board? do we think of that or the euro is organized just for fun? order european champion. this is just for fun. i'm. this is just this competition argue that it in billions of dollars, you can get your view gallery to come on board. the only way that i convinced them is compare where we took the member acquisition before 2015 and now before 2015 out to $111.00 member association will receiving a maximum of $300000.00 per year. today. it shows them receive $1500000.00. if you see the number of infrastructure bill do using the free fall

forward money is because you were able to generate additional money that doesn't not. and in the pocket of few people, but that goes to football. and now speaking of money that sometimes end up in the pockets of just a few people. ah, corruption is an issue. was an issue in fi 5, not only 50. well, let me get to it. you came in under a johnny valentino, of course, and there was a massive, clear out of the old god under former present set blotter. and fever has hail this as a new era of an era free of corruption. and johnny fantine says fifa is clean and corrupt. free to date and is to that earlier this year in 2021. the usaa justice department remitted some of the funds that he had blocked to fever related to the 2015 scandal. but are you confident that fever has cleaned house? well, as i can only speak about, if you find mr is and yes,

because we have put in place as does them, that would allow anybody just to take the money. you don't see the money, just put a click on buttons. so the fact that too, we add a little cash or this word from our agency make the things very easy, but essential apparently when it comes to the national federation for national police in africa for exam. yes but before i jamie's ah took her up hoops, uti only 40. i looked at it. 40 percent, only 14 of our member association will going through the center review since 201700 percent of our member association that receive fee for funding go through a financial scrutiny. meaning we report of for every single penny we received and we disposed in favor of our member association. but there's still some suspicious

dealings in african football. for example, fatima somewhere i knew were actually appointed to clean up african football what. what have you achieved? what's, what's been done? well, there wasn't any recommendation as you know, my mission ended after 6 months. and today i'm quite confident that with the presence offered place than what they pay at the helm of god for confederation. and also a veteran. i was hanging on by who also worked under me has a new secretary of gov. that very soon gaff will be also a very clean house. but how do you deal with political interference in football? because that has been one of the main issues with more that's why you've seen also so many countries or sometime being under normalization committee. because when the government interfered with dialogue with them to tell them that they should not be an interference. and now we are not visiting to suspend some countries where really we have in children that there are corruptions and also that there is undo

interference of, of the government. another problem with african football is the under development of the game on the continent. the best plays are going to play in in europe. they've been exploited some would say by, by european clubs what, what is foot fee for doing to develop football on the continent. and it's been talk about getting rid of the old god when it comes to football, awe governing bodies on the african continent. the associations on the continent. the old guys like our presidents, i guess like some of the presidents were still holding on. how, how do you bring about change? we've seen samuel eto recently elected as the president does communion football. but it's an exception. it's not an exception. i can't tell you about 90 percent of the of the president of the football for the origin in africa. ha. what younger i'm you and i, i re read to see a footballer taking the lead to be being in the administration as well what, how, at least we're, we're, we're, we're,

we're players who are present over their country. and george way i was waiting for back and there will you need to wait to go to, to bring up this new generation. went that hell? well definitely. ah, if for the level of experience on the bridge and of the pitch is leak want, why not? let's talk about your personal journey, fatma samara. you're the 1st female secretary general of fifa, coming from a non football background you work at the united nation says you've said for a long time, and you landed in a middle aged white european mans world. what was that like for you? what is it like being a woman? a woman of color, in a male dominated europe centric world? i think that when i, when i was appointed and my picture i was displayed in mexico in may 20 i, 16. many people have been was shocked. but i think that johnny took that decision because

his discourse was that he wanted to inject diversity. i think prior to 2015 at miss city and gender party to you. oh, we're not really at the priority of the form of 5 ministration today. really, i'm proud to be leading and administration where 43 percent are women. with 63 different nationality working in fi for headquarters. and now my appointment should not be look at as an isolated cases because since my appointment we have a 3 women, one now sitting on the management board of fever. and one of them is in charge of the women football division, which is also a prim yet, but with only difficulties going into to this boys club for you. what are some of the challenges that you in a funny, i've always worked in a male dominated organization because throughout my career in the u. n,

i was always been assigned in non family and had him duty station. so working in a male dominated again as it was not an issue, the issue was for us to change the perception that the foot board is a universal language. and 5th lot is an international body like the u. n. and it took me more time to convince this people in zurich, my own people that i yes, we need to have a more misty within fee 5. if i today, i think, or it's the, did you all your life, you had to work twice as hard as a woman, as a black woman, but he's not the only one. he's like, you had the moment you out a woman no matter your color, you have to look twice as much. yes. that i people were still thinking that as an african woman, i should not be in football, but i really don't focus on those kind of nonsense. so for football, my fight was to make sure that the boards continue running and that football is

played everywhere. and definitely that was 50 percent off for our football farms. been women yet when they thought about women? women have woven in football. yeah, let's talk about that because they're a lot of countries advocating for equal pay within women and men seen the us women football, woke up champions, have even gone to court over there to try and get a co pay for, for football as so where does he for stand on the c co pay, pay an eco price issue, there's still a huge disparity in price money where there is a you are disparity. i'm not saying that this is right, but the demands woke up. stop at the 40 in 90 city. the women's welcome started in 91. so 6 to one years later today, or until the french woke up, it was the man's woke up that was funding all the are the competition of fever. and yes, ah, we had some issues with the, with the price money, but just

a figure before point during the last woke up before france in 2015. the prize money for the women's world cup was 15000000. 15 in 2019 is, was multiplied by 3 to 50000000. and i'm sure that by the time we, which are new zealand and australia ah, for the 9th edition of the few, 5 women woke up. there will be more money injected into the women game. this is that we have allocated under the cycle 201920224 the 1st time. also in the history $1500000000.00 to the women football. but and lately for people have been very reluctant to rock the boat on this issue of prize money. what do you respond are not being elegant? we need the world cup to be sustainable. once we can't sell the woke up as a so the women welcome as a stand long as a standalone product,

which has already started with his name's edition, that will be state in new zealand and australia in 2 years. then we have the money to, to, to increase the price money. but as i told you to date, it's difficult because it's the man to work up that is funding or the other the when the woke up bring money be as a competition cost money. so we need to make those other competition as my leaving that house sustainable by promoting it. and this is what we have started. we are not sending now the right as a bundles product. we want to separate and to have the real value of the women will, can and from what we have been seeing over the past 3 years, the trend is very soon. the women woke up. we'll bring money, may be not to the level of demand for the next a decade, but very close to that. and at that moment we can talk about equal pay back. not samara p for secretary general. thank you very much for talking to ashley. thank

you to you. well it my pleasure. ah compelling. we keeping our distance because it's actually quite dangerous. ambulances continued to arrive at the speed of the explosion in spite. i still don't feel like i actually know enough about what living under fascism was like. unequal to broadcasting some nelson have been on august 9th news for happy al jazeera english proud recipient of the new york festivals broadcaster of the year award for the 5th year running. in the next episode of a thrice nick strong to into greenpeace crew on a voyage through the widow sea. to highlight the importance of protecting this fragile antarctic ecosystem against an expanding list of manmade threats. beneath

the surface of this, magnificent desolation is just tv with live these and so the remote is walter's owner, antarctic sanctuary on al jazeera. ah, only patriots allowed hong kong votes for the 1st time since beijing's radical overhaul of its electoral system. ah, i'm sammy's a band. this is al jazeera alive from dell hall. so coming up, protest is across europe rally against the authorities as.