Foreign Minister Bob Carr has denied Australia was too quick to back a strike against Syria as US President Barack Obama struggles to persuade other world leaders to support punitive military action.
Leaders meeting at the G20 summit in St Petersburg have failed to bridge their bitter divisions over the US plan with Russian President Vladimir Putin steadfastly opposing any intervention.
Mr Putin is supported by China and even the European Union, which argues a strike isn't the answer.
Senator Carr, however, rejects any suggestion Australia is on the wrong side of the argument.
"No these (issues) are all still very much being discussed," he told AAP on Friday in St Petersburg.
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"The position we adopted was correct. Chemical weapons use produces mass atrocity crimes.
"If the world doesn't respond in a way that's appropriate and proportionate, then other dictators will think they can gas children."
Eight G20 countries on Friday accepted Australia's plan for a medical pact for Syria.
It would allow medicines to be distributed throughout government and anti-government zones, and protect hospitals and their staff everywhere.
The sick and wounded would be guaranteed safe evacuation from war-torn regions.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon attended Friday's medical pact meeting.
"We look forward to the UN (now) adopting these provisions and getting agreement in Syria for the different forces to adhere to it," Senator Carr said afterwards.
Securing backing for the plan was a win for Australian diplomacy, but more importantly, a move towards humanitarian relief for people suffering in Syria, the foreign minister said.
Earlier he revealed a late-night dinner on Thursday failed to bring divided world leaders closer to a consensus on possible military action.
"All countries expressed their views, there was no consensus and there was no hope of movement from the UN Security Council," Senator Carr said.
Canberra's assessment of the evidence out of Syria is that President Bashar al-Assad's regime did use chemical weapons against its own people.
Senator Carr has reiterated Australia's in-principle support for a limited US air strike that doesn't involve boots on the ground.
