The rush to Bangladesh began in earnest in 2005, when an international trade quota system called the Multi Fiber Arrangement expired, lifting the strict limit on the amount of textiles and garments developing countries could export to developed countries.

WSJ: American Taste for Cheap Clothes Fed Bangladesh Boom

They trade a very narrow conception of power in the international system based on nuclear weapons for a much broader one based on economic integration and development that really brings them much more security in the long term.

NPR: Nuclear Weapons Not Appealing to All Countries

The UN Commission on International Trade Law, UNCITRAL, is helping to build an open trading system.

UN: Secretary-General

The gold-based Bretton Woods monetary system provided the currency stability necessary for the resumption of international trade.

FORBES: Japan and Europe Are Killing Themselves

Speaking during the second reading debate, the chair of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, Vital Moreira, said there was an urgent need for a "smooth transition from one legal system to another".

BBC: Laws on EU trade agreements