Muir, of the Alpine Club of Canada, was one of three candidates for the post along with UIAA Safety Commission President Amit Chowdhury of India and Hungary's Peter Farkas.

Before becoming President, Muir was UIAA treasurer.

He was elected during the UIAA's first-ever online General Assembly today, becoming the 14th UIAA President - including two Acting Presidents.

Muir is the second UIAA President from Canada.

Vrijlandt's second four-year term came to an end at this year's General Assembly, and UIAA Presidents are not permitted to serve in the role for more than two terms.

Four new members of the Executive Board were also elected; Lode Beckers of Belgium, Chowdhury, Swiss Françoise Jaquet and Martin Lascano of Argentina.

Zoljargal Banzragch of Mongolia and Iranian Mahmood Hashemi were elected to the Executive Board in 2019.

Britain's Anne Arran and South Africa's Greg Moseley were both re-elected to the UIAA Management Committee.

Nepal's Kul Bahadur Gurung, Britain's Steve Long, France's Jean Miczka, American Phil Powers and Norway's Stein Tronstad were also elected to the body.

Four new members were admitted by the UIAA General Assembly also, with both the Mexican Sports Federation of Mountain and Climbing and the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation becoming full members.

The Mountain Club of Western Caspian University of Azerbaijan now sits as an associate UIAA member, while the International Commission for Alpine Rescue is an observer member.

The Costa Rican and Malaysian federations have also become full members, having held observer status previously.

British mountaineering legend Doug Scott, a former member of the UIAA Management Committee, was awarded an honorary membership of the UIAA after the British Mountaineering Council put him forward for the recognition.

The 2021 UIAA General Assembly is currently scheduled to take place in Trabzon in Turkey on October 23.