1. To unite all the black people living within Africa and in other parts of the world (Africans in Diaspora). They had to come together irrespective of different educational levels or ethnicities.

2. To restore the dignity of the black man in the entire world. This dignity had been lost due to the enslavement of the Africans, due to biased writings of Europeans, due to abuses and discrimination of the blacks by the Europeans.

3. To form a common black man's voice against colonial rule in Africa. The movement wanted to find means of ending colonial oppression and exploitation and to fight for the liberation of the entire continent.

4. To find means and ways of developing the African continent so that it could stop depending on foreign economies. They believed that economic strength would ensure political strength.

5. It also aimed at reviving the African culture, which had been undermined by European missionaries. They hoped to achieve this by sensitising the educated Africans to stop praising European culture.

6. It aimed at establishing friendly/ diplomatic relations with Europeans without being slaves to them.

7. Forming a strong and united voice of all the blacks in relation to the affairs of the world, which had hitherto been monopolized by whites. The founders hoped that the RAM would be listened to and black peoples' views would be taken seriously in the UNO.

8. To uplift the standard of living in Africa and the entire black world. This was to be achieved by promoting regional economic integration in Africa, encouraging technical transfer, attracting foreign capital into Africa etc.

9. Later during the post independence period, the Pan African Movement (PAM) aimed at checking the growing rate of neo-colonialism in Africa.

10. To train African leaders and equip them with a strong feeling/loyalty to the entire continent. Such leadership would help in the proper utilization of African resources for developmental purposes.